Arsenal legend wants Gunners to build on committed display to climb table
Monday 19 January 2015 09:29, UK
Arsenal rewarded their fans at Manchester City with a complete performance full of commitment and desire, according to Sky Sports' Thierry Henry.
Santi Cazorla scored from the spot in the first half of Sunday's encounter before setting up Olivier Giroud for the Gunners’ second as they became the first team to beat City at the Etihad by two or more goals since 2010.
The display coincided with Henry’s debut in the Sky Sports punditry box, and the former Premier League striker could not hide his satisfaction at the improved performance from his former club.
There wasn’t anything for Man City today and you sensed that from the start. People want to see commitment, desire and togetherness, and today all three were there. What a player. I said before the game people were focusing on Sanchez, at the moment Cazorla is the guy that makes the team tick.
"What I'm happy about is that they played well as a unit," Henry said on Super Sunday.
"It wasn't so much about the ball, it wasn't so much about skills. But you can also play well in the way they played. They were playing as a team. There wasn't anything for Man City today, and you sensed that right from the start.
"People want to see commitment, desire and togetherness, and today all three was there. As long as you show that to the fans, they are happy. Before, they were allowing teams to run all over them. That wasn't the case today."
Inspirational midfielder Cazorla produced a starring role as his side claimed their first away win against one of last season’s top four for the first time since Robin van Persie's hat-trick sealed a 5-3 win at Chelsea in October 2011.
Outstanding
And the Arsenal legend was full of praise for Cazorla, who he believes is the catalyst in Arsenal's resurgence.
"He controlled that midfield. To come and play the way he did here at the Etihad Stadium was outstanding," Henry added.
"What a player. I said before the game that people were focusing on Sanchez but at the moment, Cazorla is the guy that makes the team tick. Sanchez didn't have a great game today, but they won 2-0.
"When was the last time you saw a Man City team not have a single chance to score? I know they had a couple of shots but they weren't great opportunities.
"He's always smiling. I also like the fact he was trying to calm people down when Arsenal were under pressure.
"It's very important for him to be in the middle. It's a different story when you have to play out wide. I don't think he has the body or the leg work to be out there.
"Once you're in the middle and you're not far from everybody in terms of pressure, he can do that all day."
