Arsenal legend Thierry Henry has told Mikel Arteta and his players that finishing top of their Champions League group would amount to absolutely nothing if they fail to win the trophy this season.
He reminded his former club that last season’s winners, Paris Saint-Germain, were not even among the top eight teams after the group phase.
Henry played down the significance of Arsenal’s dominant group performance when fellow pundit Micah Richards suggested that the Gunners have been on top of their game this season.
Arsenal have been impressive in Europe so far, winning all seven of their matches to open up a three-point lead over second-placed Bayern Munich at the top of the league-phase table.
The Gunners’ perfect start briefly looked under threat on Tuesday night when Inter Milan’s Petar Šučić cancelled out Gabriel Jesus’ opener to make it 1-1 at the San Siro.
However, the impressive Jesus restored Arsenal’s lead on the half-hour mark before Viktor Gyökeres came off the bench to put the game beyond doubt with a superb first-time finish in the 84th minute.
English teams have performed strongly in this year’s competition, with Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham, Newcastle and Chelsea all currently occupying top-eight positions.
However, teams that finish between ninth and 24th can still reach the knockout stage through the play-offs, the route PSG took before going on to win the trophy for the first time last season.
Looking at a graphic of the current top eight on CBS Sports’ Champions League coverage on Wednesday night, Richards smiled and declared that the Premier League was “dominating” in Europe.
But the former Arsenal striker was quick to shut down that narrative.
“It’s about winning it. That’s all it is, nothing else,” Henry said. “Paris Saint-Germain were not in the top eight last year. That’s a fact.”
According to Henry, Arsenal’s perfect start will count for little and may be forgotten if they fail to lift the trophy.
When asked if the Gunners are in a good position, he replied: “No, it’s about winning it. Paris Saint-Germain were not in that position last year.
“It doesn’t matter. You have to be there in Budapest, right? That’s where you need to be.”
