"You have to be a bit more clear on what you do" - Thierry Henry criticizes 2 Arsenal stars after their 1-0 loss to Porto in UCL fixture
Thierry Henry has called out Gabriel Martinelli and David Raya for their role in Arsenal's 0-1 loss to Porto in the UEFA Champions League on February 21.
The Gunners had a successful run in the group stages in their first appearance in the tournament since the 2016-17 campaign, leading their respective group table after four wins, a draw, and one loss.
The north Londoners, however, have had an undesirable start to the knockout stages. Their first leg against Porto looked to be ending in a stalemate before Galeno's stoppage-time winner.
Martinelli's attempted long-range pass to Bukayo Saka in the final minutes of the encounter saw the ball end up in Porto's possession. Galeno then found the back of the net from outside the box, handing the Gunners a one-goal deficit to overcome in the second leg.
Arsenal icon Henry has blamed Martinelli and Raya, insisting the former lost the ball unnecessarily while the latter should've saved Galeno's strike. The Frenchman said on CBS Sports (as quoted by football.london):
“You lose that ball, one minute to go, this is where away from home in Europe, you have to be a bit more clear on what you do. That’s a cheap lost ball on the counter-attack."
“I am not a goalkeeper, but he is missing the one step to be able to control his feet. He jumped too early," he added.
Arsenal will next face Newcastle United in the Premier League at the Emirates on Sunday, February 25.
"This is why he’s so important" - Thierry Henry singles out Arsenal star for praise in Porto defeat
While speaking on CBS Sports, Henry singled out Declan Rice and praised him for his performance against the Portuguese side. The Frenchman explained how important the England international is to Mikel Arteta's side.
Arsenal broke their club record by securing the former West Ham United skipper's services last summer for £105 million. The English midfielder has been a key player for Arteta this season, starting all but one of his side's Premier League and Champions League games.
He has contributed four goals and five assists as well across both competitions. Henry lauded the Arsenal midfielder and said (via TBR Football):
“Him stopping what people don’t notice at times. What I like is he took a yellow after two minutes and he stayed in the game. You will see, you can see him here. He blocks the shot. But at the beginning he is looking at what is happening here [on the edge of the box]."
The former Barcelona forward added:
“He did it so many times in the game. With a yellow. That’s not an easy one, this is why he’s so important for the team.”