\n<\/p>\n
Thierry Henry has told Sporting how they can beat his beloved Arsenal on Wednesday after the Gunners \u201cdidn\u2019t have an answer\u201d to a tactic used by Manchester City and Bournemouth.<\/p>\n
Arsenal hold a 1-0 lead heading into the second leg at the Emirates after Kai Havertz\u2019s late winner in Lisbon last week, but progression is by no means a foregone conclusion despite that advantage and the Gunners\u2019 vastly superior individual quality.<\/p>\n
Mikel Arteta\u2019s side are enduring quite the slump thanks to defeat to City in the Carabao Cup final, a shock exit to Southampton in the FA Cup and defeat to Bournemouth in the Premier League on Saturday<\/strong> to reignite bottlejob claims.<\/p>\n READ MORE: Arsenal plummet in Premier League mood rankings; bottling almost as bad as relegation<\/strong><\/p>\n And Henry believes Sporting will cause Arsenal problems in their Champions League quarter-final if they employ the same tactics as City and Bournemouth.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you\u2019re Sporting, if you see the way Man City played Arsenal and the way Bournemouth played Arsenal at the weekend, the way they put pressure in that 4-2-4 early doors, Arsenal didn\u2019t have an answer on how to step out from that,\u201d Henry told CBS Sports<\/em>.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know what Sporting are going to do, but yes, it is very important for Arsenal to win the game and make sure they can prepare for the game we are all waiting for, what time it is.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause for a very long time, I wasn\u2019t even focusing on Bournemouth, even before Bournemouth winning I wasn\u2019t focusing on that, I wanted that game, if I was a player, I want to win at statement, I want to make a statement.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not saying it\u2019s going to be easy, but that\u2019s what I\u2019m waiting for.\u201d<\/p>\n MEDIAWATCH: Mikel Arteta issues 96-word Arsenal \u2018fire\u2019 demand, slowly shrinks and transforms into corn cob<\/strong><\/p>\n Arteta issued a bizarre call to arms in his press conference ahead of the clash with Sporting, insisting he had delivered a message of \u201cpure fire\u201d to his players.<\/p>\n \u201cNo fear, pure fire. That\u2019s it,\u201d he said. \u201cPure fire, that\u2019s what I want to see from the players, the people, myself. The opportunity is unbelievable.<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s confront it, let\u2019s go for it and put everything into it.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m on fire. That\u2019s it. Nothing else. I\u2019m dreaming so much.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve done so much to be in this position, because I know how this club it was.<\/p>\n \u201cI have done so much that this is beauty. I just see beauty opportunity, and I want to get it done for all these people that they\u2019ve been in this journey with us and because they deserve because you\u2019ve been unbelievable.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s what has driven me every single day. Have zero fear. Fear I had when \u2018oh, if we don\u2019t get this done, this club. I don\u2019t know what going\u2026\u2019 That was fear.<\/p>\n \u201cNow there\u2019s no fear. It\u2019s just purpose, fire, direction and conviction that we\u2019re going to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/div>\n