Arsenal have underachieved under Arteta – Henry

Thierry Henry believes Arsenal have underachieved under Mikel Arteta over the last three years after failing to win any silverware.

Arsenal have been regular title challengers in recent years but have finished as runners-up in each of the last three seasons. In 2024-25, they finished 10 points behind champions Liverpool, who won the league with four games to spare.

The last trophy Arsenal won was the FA Cup in 2020 during Arteta’s first season at the helm, with this their fifth consecutive campaign without a major trophy.

This term, Arsenal were knocked out of the FA Cup in the third round by Manchester United on penalties, while they fell at the semi-final hurdle in both the EFL Cup and the Champions League, to Newcastle United and Paris Saint-Germain, respectively.

The latter was their best European run since 2009, though they failed to reach just their second Champions League final, having also played the showpiece in 2006.

Henry, who spent eight years at Arsenal between 1999 and 2007, says the Gunners should have something to show for their improvement under Arteta.

“I’m not saying that I’m disappointed with Arsenal, but it’s normal that people are raising questions now about what the team is doing,” Henry told the Stick to Football podcast.

“I understand that at the very beginning, you arrive and it’s not your team. You need at the very least three or four transfer windows to change everything that you want to.

Signing off with a win

All the key moments from today’s 2-1 victory over Southampton pic.twitter.com/ox3dI4quMx

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) May 25, 2025

“It takes time, and you have to give a manager time to be able to implement what he wants to do.

“For the last three years, Arsenal have been in a situation where they should have at least brought one cup or [reached] a final.”

Arsenal finished with 74 points this season, their lowest tally since 2021-22 (69), but have averaged 82 points over the last three campaigns.

However, Henry drew comparisons to Man Utd, who finished 15th in the Premier League in 2024-25, but have competed in five major finals in the last five years, winning two trophies.

“Manchester United have played in five finals in the last five years, the United that everyone laughs at – whereas for Arsenal in the last three years of building, they’ve not reached a final,” Henry added.

“So, I do understand when people ask the question, ‘surely you should compete for a trophy?’”