'Show it against Man City!' - Thierry Henry challenges Mikel Arteta after 'fire' claims & LAUGHS at Arsenal's title chances if they repeat dismal displays

Arsenal reached the Champions League semi-finals despite a recent slump that saw them suffer a 2-1 defeat to Bournemouth, marking their third loss in four matches. Prior to the Sporting CP clash, Arteta demanded "no fear" and "pure fire" from his players to arrest a decline that has seen more defeats in a fortnight than in their first 49 games of the campaign. However, the subsequent laboured performance in Europe has led club icons to question whether the squad can rediscover their spark in time for Sunday's pivotal title decider.

The lack of spark in the second leg against the Portuguese champions prompted a stern reaction from Henry, who questioned whether the squad currently possesses the clinical edge required for the run-in. Despite being a supporter of Arteta's project, the Frenchman insisted that the team must now deliver a dominant performance on the pitch.

Speaking on CBS Sports about the manager's recent comments, Henry said: “I believe in what he [Arteta] said, I’m a big believer. I believe in what I see. I believe in the fire but when you talk like that, you have to do it then. But I didn’t see that tonight. We are through, so happy, semi-final. We never won it, I never won it so I can’t really talk about all of that but I won the league though."

Henry was visibly amused when asked if the level shown during the Sporting clash would suffice when facing a side of City's calibre, noting their recent historical dominance. However, he maintained that this campaign still represents Arsenal's best opportunity to silence their critics.

Demanding a response at the Etihad, the Gunners' record goalscorer added: “Go and win at Man City. I want to see that fire there. That’s the fire I want to see, I believe Mikel, yes, but go and show it.

"Not like tonight or against Bournemouth or Brighton away or Mansfield or everything that I’ve seen this season. The Man City that I’ve seen recently [laughs]. We’re talking about the team that won four in a row. Liverpool came in between that, if not, it would have been more.

“Again, I do believe. I’ve been saying since the beginning of the season that this year I do believe that we can win the league. This is the biggest chance in your life to not only shut anyone down, but to prove that yourself as a team that we can. And then people will not talk about whatever word they want to use that I will not use. I do believe personally. But I’m sitting here on a chair working on CBS, there’s nothing I can do. Now, I heard fire. I want to see that fire at the Etihad.”

Arsenal currently lead the Premier League with 70 points from 32 games ahead of Sunday’s monumental trip to City, where victory would remarkably extend their lead at the summit to nine points. Following the Etihad clash, the Gunners must navigate a demanding schedule featuring Newcastle on April 25 and May fixtures against Fulham, West Ham, and Burnley. This gruelling domestic run sits alongside a high-stakes Champions League semi-final against Atletico Madrid, with the first leg taking place at the Metropolitano.