Thierry Henry launches stinging attack on old club Arsenal
Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud has been in good form since returning from injury.
Thierry Henry has launched a scathing attack on the quality of the Arsenal team, saying they will never win the league with Olivier Giroud as their main striker and record-signing Mesut Ozil needs to do more in big games.
Henry said his former side needed to buy four players in the summer to be competitive.
In an unusually unspoken attack on the side led by his former manager Arsene Wenger, Henry used their 0-0 draw against Chelsea as an example of where they are falling short.
He contrasted the record of Ozil with the number of assists former Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas has made for Chelsea this season and also said the Gunners need to sort out their injury problems.
Henry said on Sky Sports: "I think they need to buy four players - they need that spine. They need a goalkeeper, they still need a centre-back, they still need a holding midfielder and, I'm afraid, they need a top, top quality striker to win this league again.
"You had the best example with Chelsea here today. They were struggling last season to win the league. They went on to buy Cortouis, Matic, Cesc and Costa.
"For me, that speaks volumes and you saw it today - a team didn't and a team did, and they are about to win the league again.
"He [Wenger] has to do it. You need to have this competitive thing within the group - to win the league, that has to happen."
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Henry also hit out at the contribution of £42.5million midfielder Mesut Ozil.
He said: "Players need to perform, also. I will single out Mesut Ozil. Against a top four team, that was his eighth game today - zero goals and two assists.
"That is not enough. Overall, since he has been at Arsenal, he has 14 assists. You look at Cesc Fabregas, he has 16 assists in one season. Players at one point need to perform."
On Giroud, Henry said: "I think Giroud is doing extremely well. But can you win the league with him? I wouldn't think so.
"He does a job, and he does it ever so well, but you can't win the league.
"Arsenal were at the top of the league last season, but everyone was saying they are not going win the league.
He said: "Players need to perform, also. I will single out Mesut Ozil. Against a top four team, that was his eighth game today - zero goals and two assists.
"That is not enough. Overall, since he has been at Arsenal, he has 14 assists. You look at Cesc Fabregas, he has 16 assists in one season. Players at one point need to perform."
On Giroud, Henry said: "I think Giroud is doing extremely well. But can you win the league with him? I wouldn't think so.
"He does a job, and he does it ever so well, but you can't win the league.
"Arsenal were at the top of the league last season, but everyone was saying they are not going win the league.
"If I'm a player there, I would be: 'Hang on a minute, I'm at the top of the league right now.' But people were still saying it. Players need to step their game up."
Henry said Arsenal had a "record" number of injuries every season and that it was down to "more than bad luck".
"A lot of them are hamstring. I am not in the camp to know how they are training but there is something there that needs to be rectified.
"Every time it is a record. And that is a record you do not want o have. You need people available to perform."
