BREAKING -NEWS 🔥🔥Thierry Henry says Arsenal made a huge mistake appointing Mikel Arteta😱😱He says Mikel Arteta has been a failure since he took over Arsenal 😳😳

Thierry Henry believes Arsenal made a significant mistake by appointing Mikel Arteta as head coach in 2019, suggesting that Unai Emery could have achieved success at the club if given more time.

Emery succeeded Arsène Wenger in 2018, following his 22-year reign, but his tenure lasted only 18 months before Arteta replaced him. While Arteta has since turned Arsenal into Premier League title contenders, Henry feels that Emery had the potential to lead the team to similar success if Arsenal had shown more patience. Since leaving Arsenal, Emery has demonstrated his abilities, winning the Europa League with Villarreal and guiding Aston Villa into the Champions League.

Speaking to CBS Sports ahead of Aston Villa’s 1-0 win over Bayern Munich, Henry lauded Emery’s tactical expertise. “He’s a tactical genius,” Henry said. “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.”

Henry cited Emery’s success post-Arsenal as proof of his managerial quality. “He showed what he’s capable of right after he left. I have immense respect for him.”

Jamie Carragher, a fellow pundit and former Liverpool defender, agreed with Henry, calling Emery one of Europe’s best coaches. “He’s fantastic, one of the top coaches in European football,” Carragher said. “His success in the Europa League with Sevilla and Villarreal is outstanding. In the Premier League, Pep Guardiola is at the top, but Emery is right up there.”

Emery’s reputation has continued to grow at Aston Villa, and the 1-0 win over Bayern Munich at Villa Park further cemented his credentials. After their Champions League victory against Young Boys, Villa’s win against Bayern signaled their emergence as serious European contenders, with Jhon Duran’s late goal sealing a memorable victory.