Thierry Henry believes Arsenal made a major error by appointing Mikel Arteta as head coach in 2019, suggesting that Unai Emery could have found success at the club if given additional time.
Emery took over from Arsène Wenger in 2018 after his 22-year tenure, but his time in charge lasted just 18 months before Arteta came in. Although Arteta has turned Arsenal into contenders for the Premier League title, Henry feels that Emery could have achieved similar success if Arsenal had been more patient. Since departing, Emery has proven his capabilities by winning the Europa League with Villarreal and leading Aston Villa to the Champions League.
In an interview with CBS Sports prior to Aston Villa’s 1-0 victory over Bayern Munich, Henry praised Emery’s tactical skills. “He’s a tactical genius,” Henry stated. “He always ensures his team has a tactical advantage. We all know about his achievements in Spain, winning the Europa League four times with Sevilla and Villarreal. No disrespect to Arteta—he’s doing an incredible job at Arsenal—but I believe if we had kept Unai a bit longer, he would have been successful.”
