LONDON: Thierry Henry insists injuries are not an excuse and Arsenal must win the Premier League this season.
The last time the Gunners won the league title was in the unbeaten 2003-04 season when Henry was the backbone of the team.
This time, Mikel Arteta’s team is at the top of the league with a two-point lead over Manchester City ahead of a busy end-of-year schedule.
However, they have been tested by injuries to players including Ben White, Gabriel, Kai Havertz and Cristhian Mosquera.
Several other players such as William Saliba, Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka, Noni Madueke and Gabriel Jesus also escaped some resistance.
White, 28, was forced off after half an hour of play in the dramatic 2-1 win over Wolves on Saturday and will be out for at least a month.
Henry, 48, said: “Injuries, a busy calendar – don’t talk about it. Every team has problems. Let’s see who will be at the top at the end of the season. We have to win the league. It has to be this year.
“In a long season, teams will be tested, injuries will happen and things won’t always go our way. How we deal with it is important.
“From Christmas until the end of February, we can see more clearly who can win the league.”
Arsenal travel to Everton tomorrow, before facing Crystal Palace in the League Cup quarter-finals, followed by Premier League matches against Brighton, Aston Villa, Bournemouth and Liverpool until January 8.
During his eight years with the Gunners, Henry won two Premier League titles, three FA Cups and four Golden Boots, including three in a row from 2004 to 2006. He also holds Arsenal’s record for highest goalscorer with 228 goals.
Recently, Henry was awarded Lifetime Achievement at the BBC Sports Personality Awards 2025.
“I wouldn’t have succeeded without great players, a great team and a great coach. Thank you to everyone who believed in me and those who didn’t,” said Henry.