‘He had time': Thierry Henry questions Arteta over lack of Arsenal striker
PA Media/dpa
London
Thierry Henry has criticized Mikel Arteta over his failure to sign an out-and-out frontman, saying the Arsenal manager has 'had time to get a nine.'
The north London club finished second behind Premier League champions Liverpool this season and failed to add to the single trophy - the 2020 FA Cup - won by Arteta during his five-and-a-half-year reign to date.
While acknowledging that fitness problems had played a part, the Gunners' record goalscorer highlighted the lack of a number nine as a key issue.
Henry told the Overlap Stick to Football podcast: 'When you look at the injuries and you look at the players that came, OK, he brought players - he got [Raheem] Sterling when everyone wanted a nine. He had time to get a nine, he had time.
'I'm not the coach, I don't know how the discussion...everyone has been screaming for a nine - apart from when we win, by the way. When we beat Real Madrid, we didn't need a nine. No, you do need a nine.'
Arsenal have been linked repeatedly with Newcastle's Alexander Isak - the Magpies' Champions League qualification is likely to make that even more difficult - and also Sporting Lisbon frontman Viktor Gyokeres and RB Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko.
However, Henry, a 1998 World Cup winner with France, believes Atletico Madrid's former Manchester City hitman Julian Alvarez could be the answer to their problems.
He said: 'One of my favourite nines out there at the minute is Julian Alvarez. We've been talking about it, putting pressure, playing alone, low, whatever you want to do. Did you see the free-kick he scored the other day?
'He can hold the ball alone, he played at the Olympic Games, he played in the Copa America. I don't hear him saying, 'I'm tired' or not tired. Hopefully nothing bad is going to happen to him. He's played everything and the way he plays, I just like him.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Qatar Tribune
9 hours ago
- Qatar Tribune
Brentford agree potential £18 mn deal for Liverpool keeper Caoimhin Kelleher
LondoncTypeface:> Brentford have agreed a deal with Liverpool to sign Caoimhín Kelleher for a deal worth up to £18 million ($24.24 million), the PA news agency understands. A reported initial fee of £12.5m for the second-choice Liverpool goalkeeper can rise to £18m if performance-related requirements are met. Ireland's Kelleher, who has a year left on his contract at Anfield, played over a quarter of the champions' Premier League matches this season when first-choice Alisson Becker was injured. His move away from the Merseyside club has been heavily reported, with Giorgi Mamardashvili joining the club in July after Liverpool confirmed the signature of the Valencia keeper last summer. Kelleher's switch to west London comes with 31-year-old Bees keeper Mark Flekken set to join Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen. The transfer is the first of what is set to be a busy window at Gtech Community Stadium, with 20-goal winger Bryan Mbuemo expected to leave the club. (PA Media/dpa)
Qatar Tribune
9 hours ago
- Qatar Tribune
Enrique's late daughter remembered
Agencies Paris Paris Saint-Germain fans unveiled a huge banner honouring coach Luis Enrique's late daughter Xana after the French club won their first Champions League on Saturday following years of failure. After his side thrashed Inter Milan 5-0 in Munich, the Spaniard also switched t-shirts to carry a reference to his daughter, who died of bone cancer in 2019 aged 9. 'Xana is always with us, we always think of her,' he told reporters. She had witnessed her father lift European club football's top prize as part of a treble while he was Barcelona coach in 2015, but he has managed the feat again after a painful period which included having to step down from the Spain job before her death. A row over his return to the Spain role and subsequent exit after a disappointing 2022 World Cup, only for the side to go on and win Euro 2024, had threatened Enrique's legacy. But he has moulded a real team since taking over in 2023 at PSG, eschewing their previous obsession with big names. His know-how has delivered in spectacular style with a record-winning margin for a Champions League final. 'No one expected this. We pressed so well, it's amazing what we managed. We are very happy, we had this ambition and goal,' he added. Club president Nasser Al Khelaifi, part of the Qatari group who took over the club in 2011 when they had won just two French league titles, was thrown into the air by the players after they lifted the trophy. They now have a record 13 Ligue 1 titles, but the big aim was the Champions League, which looked further away than ever when Lionel Messi came and then left after the unhappiest period of his career from 2021-23. Al Khelaifi, having also seen Neymar and Kylian Mbappe walk away, changed strategy by investing in younger prospects and wily professionals. It has paid off handsomely with a first ever French treble.
Qatar Tribune
9 hours ago
- Qatar Tribune
Root's unbeaten 166 steers England to series win over WIndies
Agencies Joe Root became England's leading run-scorer in one-day internationals as his sparkling unbeaten 166 secured a three-wicket win over West Indies in Cardiff, reports Root, who is also his country's highest run-scorer in Tests, finished with 166 from 139 balls as England reached their target of 309 with seven balls remaining to take the three-match series with a game to spare. He surpassed World Cup-winning captain Eoin Morgan's tally of 6,957 runs on the way to his highest ODI score, leading England's recovery from 93-4 which included ducks for Jamie Smith, Ben Duckett and Jos Buttler. Root combined with Harry Brook for a third-wicket stand of 85, before a masterful partnership of 143 with Will Jacks put England within touching distance of victory. A fierce spell from Alzarri Joseph, who finished with 4-31, accounted for Jacks for 49 and Brydon Carse for two to keep West Indies interested, but Root and Adil Rashid calmly ticked off the remaining 21 runs, sealed in style by a classical Root drive down the ground. Earlier, West Indies' 308 was set up by Keacy Carty's 103, bookended by half-centuries from Brandon King and Shai Hope - and with plenty of assistance from England's sloppy fielding. Carty and King added 141 for the second wicket but the former was put down on by Duckett on one and Saqib Mahmood on 41, while Duckett also dropped King on 11 and somehow squandered a run-out opportunity when both batters were stranded in the middle of the pitch in the 21st over. The innings fell away from 205-2 when Carty fell three balls after reaching his century, with Rashid taking 4-63 and Mahmood's three late wickets mopping up the tail. ScorescColor:> West Indies 308 (47.4 overs) Carty 103 (105); Rashid 4-63 England 312-7 (48.5 overs): Root 166* (139); Joseph 4-31. England won by three wickets.
