Thierry Henry has thrown his weight behind Mikel Arteta’s pragmatic Arsenal, insisting that aesthetics must come second to ending the club’s long wait for a Premier League title.

The former captain, symbol of Arsène Wenger’s free‑flowing “Invincibles” era, acknowledged that Arsenal’s current reliance on set pieces and defensive solidity is a far cry from the football that made his old side famous. Yet with Arsenal clear at the top of the table and chasing a first league crown since 2003/04, Henry argued that results now trump romance.

“I don’t have to like it as an Arsenal fan, but I surely respect it,” he said. “We asked Mikel Arteta to find a way, he did. I want to win the league, it’s been 22 years.”

Arsenal have been criticised for a more functional approach, with over a third of their goals coming from set plays despite heavy investment in attacking talent. Henry countered that this evolution has answered long‑standing accusations that Arsenal were fragile and naïve.

“For a very long time, Arsenal have been accused of being boys. Not being able to keep a lead, getting bullied. Can they win ugly? That’s exactly what the team is doing, and mastering that,” he said.

Henry also questioned whether supporters are clinging to a romanticised notion of the “Arsenal way”, pointing out that the club’s history includes both Wenger’s expansive football and George Graham’s famously tight, often dour, title‑winning sides.

“What is the Arsenal way? My way? George Graham? What is it?” he asked. “Arsenal won under Graham and Wenger. What’s the issue here?”

To underline his point, Henry recalled facing Jose Mourinho’s first Chelsea side, who were criticised for pragmatism yet stormed to the title while conceding barely half the goals Arsenal did. “They were very difficult to beat, outstanding on the break. Everyone praised Mourinho and Chelsea, and rightly so. They found a way to stop the duo.”

Jamie Carragher, analysing alongside Henry, praised Arteta for shifting from a Guardiola‑inspired, possession‑heavy model to what he described as a more “Mourinho‑esque” approach, built on power, strength and control.

“The fascinating thing about Arteta is he’s started with one and morphed into the other,” Carragher said, arguing that such a dramatic philosophical pivot from a title‑chasing manager is virtually unprecedented in the Premier League era.