Arsenal legend Thierry Henry has called on his former side to show a winning mentality by picking themselves up and responding after suffering a damaging defeat against Manchester City.
The Gunners surrendered top spot in the Premier League on Wednesday night after City left the Emirates Stadium with a 3-1 victory. The two sides went in at half-time level after Kevin de Bruyne's finish from Takehiro Tomiyasu’s short back-pass was cancelled out by Bukayo Saka ’s penalty.
But City rallied in the closing stages to take all three points thanks to clinical finishes from Jack Grealish and Erling Haaland, after Arsenal gave up possession in dangerous areas. Pep Guardiola’s side are now top of the league on goal difference, although Arsenal do have a game in hand.
It was a hugely significant result and extended the Gunners’ winless run to four games in all competitions. That run was started by a 1-0 loss to City in the FA Cup and Henry believes Arsenal now need to dig deep and show determination to hit back in the title race.
“I thought the cup game was very significant, because it does matter when it’s against a team you’re fighting against for the title,” he said on CBS Sports when asked what he would say to his old team.
“Now they’ve come to your place and they’ve beaten you, can you now show that you can respond? Because, since the beginning of the season, City have had to respond to what Arsenal were doing. Can you keep your composure, go to Villa and rectify that straight away at the weekend? And show that you can be with them all the way and try to do something at their ground, because now it’s going to be very difficult.
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“Man United are just behind, I don’t know if they can stay with City and Arsenal, who knows. But just stay calm, you lost against a great team today, who brought on [Phil] Foden, [Manuel] Akanji – do you have the same bench at Arsenal? I’m not so sure.
“But keep your composure. You lost that one but that doesn’t mean that everything now has to go in the bin. Keep your composure, go and try and rectify things straight away against Villa and see what you can do. You still have a game in hand. Now it’s going to be tough though.”
He added: “It was always going to happen during the season, where you’re not going to win, maybe two to three games. How are we going to react to that? It’s not about how you fall, it’s about how you get back on your feet and stand after that.
"Hopefully we can do that, but City are used to playing that type of role and that type of battle.”
Arsenal travel to face Aston Villa next in an early kick-off on Saturday in the Premier League before matches against Leicester and Everton. City, meanwhile, are away to Nottingham Forest on Saturday before beginning their Champions League last-16 ties against RB Leipzig next Wednesday.
