Thierry Henry believes Arsenal's strength in depth gives them a realistic chance of winning major trophies this season, after the Gunners maintained their perfect Champions League start with a 2-0 victory over Olympiacos.
The north London side moved to within two points of Premier League leaders Liverpool at the weekend with a dramatic stoppage-time win at Newcastle, and followed that up with a composed European performance at the Emirates. Gabriel Martinelli opened the scoring in the 12th minute, but Arsenal had to wait until stoppage time to seal the win through substitute Bukayo Saka.
Speaking on CBS Sports, Henry highlighted the importance of having high-quality options on the bench. 'That's what the team is about. I do believe when you go through a season that you need your bench to bail you out,' the club's all-time top scorer said. 'This is why I think Arsenal, this year, have big chances to win stuff because the bench will change the game for you.'
Henry felt Arsenal should have killed the game earlier but were rescued by the likes of Declan Rice, Eberechi Eze and Saka. 'Arsenal should have buried it way earlier. They missed a lot of chances, they ended up battling for it at one point,' he added.
Manager Mikel Arteta echoed Henry's sentiments, praising his squad's ability to 'bring another dimension' from the bench. 'The players came in as well to help the team when we were still lacking a bit of rhythm and needed to re-energise,' Arteta said. 'Anybody that comes in and brings another dimension to the team. It's great to see.'
The result leaves Arsenal with a 100 per cent record in the Champions League group stage, their only defeat this season coming against Liverpool in the Premier League. They face West Ham at the Emirates on Saturday as they look to keep the pressure on the league leaders.
