Arsenal - Thierry Henry
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Arsenal delivered a resounding statement in the Champions League with a 4-0 thrashing of Atletico Madrid on Tuesday, positioning themselves as serious challengers for the trophy, according to Thierry Henry and Jamie Carragher.
The Gunners dominated the Spanish outfit, famous for their defensive resilience under Diego Simeone. Strikes from Gabriel, Gabriel Martinelli, and a rapid double from Viktor Gyokeres sealed a memorable evening, while Arsenal also strengthened their grip on the Premier League summit over the weekend.
Aiming for their first league title in over two decades and building on last season’s semi-final run, Mikel Arteta’s revitalized squad—bolstered by £250m in summer signings—has raised expectations sky-high.
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Thierry Henry, who starred in Arsenal’s 2006 Champions League final appearance, shared his optimism during CBS coverage. He placed his former club alongside Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain as frontrunners.
Gabriel - Arsenal
Kate Scott then turned to Carragher for his take on Arsenal’s prospects. “Right now I think Arsenal and Bayern are the two most impressive teams I’ve seen when you look at their performances domestically and what they’re doing in the Champions League,” Carragher replied.
He added a candid reflection: “I’ve said before on this show that I’ve never had Arsenal down as a Champions League club. I know that might sound obvious because they’ve never won it before but I’ve always thought there’s something about them that doesn’t connect, they’ve never really gone close.
“Thierry’s [Arsenal] team was the best team I ever played against in the Premier League and even that team didn’t come close enough to winning the Champions League. It wasn’t that team that got to the Champions League final.”
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Arsenal’s flawless Champions League campaign continues, with zero goals conceded so far. They’re even pacing to shatter the Premier League record for fewest goals allowed in a season (15), established by Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea in 2004-05.
Drawing from his Liverpool triumphs, Carragher noted: “I do look at this team now and see how strong they are defensively. My [Liverpool] team that won the Champions League were not a great team attacking-wise but we were strong defensively.
“That always gives you a chance, especially when you get to the knockout stages and the two-legged ties. If you’re strong defensively you’ve always got a chance.
“So, yeah, I see Arsenal as one of the four or five teams that can win this competition.”
As Arsenal build momentum, Henry’s endorsement and Carragher’s evolving faith signal a pivotal shift in perceptions of their European pedigree.
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