The dream run to the Premier League title continues for Mikel Arteta’s young Arsenal side after their 4-2 comeback win over Aston Villa at Villa Park against former Gunners boss Unai Emery on a day when many fans thought their loss against Manchester City just days ago was a possible death-knell of their 2022-23 title charge.
Such fighting spirit in conjunction with quality on the pitch has not been commonplace in north London in recent years, not until Arteta and club director of football Edu Gaspar – in conjunction with a collective long-term vision with owners Kroenke Sports & Entertainment – focused on not just results on the pitch, but also establishing a culture commensurate with where Arsenal should be moving forward as well as where it has been before.
In that light, Arsenal’s all-time leading scorer and club icon Thierry Henry certainly would know a thing or two when it comes to bringing success to the English capital after leading the Premier League giants to four major domestic honors and two European finals while being a cog in the wheel as part of one of the most vaunted styles of football in English history.
Exclusive | Thierry Henry hails Mikel Arteta’s side, a team that “look like the Arsenal I know”, and explains why he’s backing the Kroenkes to stay in place as the club’s owners. https://t.co/w1NPSNv4nC
— James Benge (@jamesbenge) February 21, 2023
For the former French international star and current TV pundit, Arteta’s Arsenal is a throwback to a familiar era that is deserving of every bit of praise it has begun to receive, after sitting down with CBS Sports’ James Benge and detailing his thoughts surrounding the club’s push for the league and what it could mean for KSE ownership moving forward.
“First and foremost, in my time when I arrived at Arsenal, people were always referring Arsenal to class, family, and fight. If you wear that shirt, you’re going to understand that. I think some players along the way lost track of that. It happens. It happened to me sometimes. Oh, you need a little reminder. So Tony Adams gave it to me. Martin Keown gave it to me. Lee Dixon gave it to me. But when you lose that core? Where do you find it?”
“You could see there was a little disconnection with the fans. All the fans wanted is to relate to the team, a team that can compete. They didn’t boo the team on Thursday, [defeats] happen, fans can understand that. What fans don’t understand is when they don’t see a team that fights. They don’t see themselves in a team that doesn’t represent the community. Edu, the board, Mikel Arteta, whoever, however you want to call it, brought that back.”
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