Thierry Henry expressed his dissatisfaction with Arsenal’s display against Bayern Munich, labeling it as subpar.
He specifically criticized the actions of two team members during the critical moment that led to the goal which determined the outcome of the Champions League encounter.
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In a tightly contested match at the Allianz Arena, Bayern secured a slender 1-0 victory, edging out Arsenal with a 3-2 aggregate score after the initial 2-2 stalemate in the first leg at London.
The competition was fierce in Bavaria, but ultimately, Joshua Kimmich’s goal in the 63rd minute was the turning point, propelling Bayern into the semi-finals and eliminating Arsenal from the European competition.
The Arsenal icon, Henry, was not pleased with the team’s effort and believed that two players, in particular, could have exerted greater effort to thwart Bayern’s decisive goal.
Asked what Arsenal are missing after they were eliminated out of the Champions League, Henry told CBS Sports: ‘Putting the ball in the back of the net but today there wasn’t even a lot of chances to do that.
‘I think the two goals [in the first leg] at home were soft. We all know if you make those mistakes in the Champions League you’re going to pay the price.
‘Today wasn’t good enough I would say but there wasn’t much in the game. Both teams didn’t want to lose so they didn’t really go for it.
‘There was a moment of bad decision, not only from [Gabriel] Martinelli but [Takehiro] Tomiyasu also, because he did not cover his centre-back for the cross or close that line.
‘But you’ve asked me so many times, do I think Arsenal can win the Champions League? I say yes because I’m hoping and wishing.
‘But if I take my Arsenal hat off, when we play three games a week, we struggle. I don’t think we’re equipped to play three games a week so maybe it can be a good thing for the Premier League.’
Mikel Arteta conveyed that his squad was deeply disappointed following their Champions League exit, yet he encouraged them to shift their attention to the Premier League’s enthralling title chase.
This season, Arsenal is once again in contention for the top spot, currently holding second place, just two points adrift of the reigning champions Manchester City, as they head into the final six matches.
‘What we have ahead is beautiful,’ Arteta said. ‘Six games to go and we are two points behind City.
‘It is a busy schedule for everybody. We have to go through the pain tonight, and tomorrow get up, come with the same attitude that we came here and hopefully beat Wolves.’
Manchester City, the frontrunners in the Premier League, suffered a European campaign setback on Wednesday evening, bowing out to Real Madrid in a penalty shootout.
As a result, the 14-time victors, Real Madrid, are set to clash with the 2022 titleholders, Bayern Munich, for a coveted spot in the Champions League final. Meanwhile, Paris Saint-Germain will compete against Borussia Dortmund in the alternate semi-final matchup.
