Thierry Henry has pinpointed two potential worries for Arsenal ahead of their Champions League clash with Atletico Madrid. The Gunners face the Spanish outfit in the first leg of their semi-final on Wednesday evening at the Metropolitano Stadium.
Mikel Arteta's side head into the tie following a 1-0 triumph over Newcastle United in the Premier League, a result that lifted them back above Manchester City at the summit of the table. Arsenal now return to Champions League duties and will be aiming to move closer to the final in Budapest, where either Paris Saint-Germain or Bayern Munich would await them.
Yet Arsenal icon Henry has issued a cautionary message to his former club by highlighting two areas of concern ahead of the clash with Atletico, reports football.london.
"Unfortunately, the pros did not change too much, especially after the game against Newcastle. Solid, set pieces," Henry said on CBS Sports Golazo on Tuesday night. "One thing that we did notice is that the team looked a bit fatigued. I've been there, physically and mentally, when you play for the title, and you have to play in Europe, it's draining. And we all saw the lack of creativity that might be an issue."
Arteta looked ahead to Arsenal's meeting with Atletico when speaking to the media at the Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid. The Gunners manager was quizzed about the side's recent goalscoring record and outlined why it requires attention.
"Well, we have to do better," Arteta said. "We can take shots, the quality of those shots. And it was a great example in Newcastle, where it can happen. So we want to improve in every department. But at the same time, to be where we are sitting here tonight, you have to be exceptional. One of the top four teams in Europe to be here. So imagine how difficult that is."
When pressed on the upcoming clash against Atletico, Arteta added: "We have prepared the game to win it. There's no question about that. We have to be ourselves and do what we do constantly with our opponent. And then, okay, let's see what the team throws, the level that we can show, the quality that we can show. And hopefully that's going to be the case."
