'Take as many selfies as he wants!' - Thierry Henry defends 'out of this world' Rayan Cherki for taunting Arsenal after Man City's Carabao Cup win

The fallout from Manchester City's dominant 2-0 Carabao Cup final victory over Arsenal partially centred on the antics of Cherki. The creative midfielder, who has been in sensational form, drew the ire of Arsenal supporters for what many perceived as arrogance on the pitch and provocative celebrations after the final whistle. However, Henry believes the winner has every right to enjoy the moment.

"All I know is my team lost, he won, and he can take as many selfies as he wants. For me, it’s not even a discussion," Henry told Betway. "Rayan is a special player who will do special things. I had him as a player with the French Olympic team, and he will do things that are out of this world."

With the Carabao Cup heading to Manchester, Henry has urged Mikel Arteta’s side to look past the disappointment and focus on the remaining competitions. Drawing on his experience during the 2003-04 'Invincibles' season, where Arsenal suffered setbacks in cup competitions within a single week, Henry emphasised the importance of mental resilience.

"I’ve been in that situation when we won the treble at Barcelona. We didn’t manage to do it with Arsenal, but the mentality was always ‘one game at a time’," Henry explained. "It’s a competition that we lost, now go and try to win the league, and see what you can do in the Champions League and FA Cup."

Henry further said of the Carabao Cup final: "City had to show some answers based on what’s been happening in the Premier League, and they did that, unfortunately for us. Now, we’ll have to see if the result will have an impact on the title race or not. I’m not sure if it will.

"It's a competition that we lost, now go and try to win the league, and see what you can do in the Champions League and FA Cup.

"I saw the players talking after the game and they were disappointed. It’s never easy to lose a final, but get on with it, and make sure that when you face City again at the Etihad you put things right."

Henry also addressed the scrutiny facing Martin Zubimendi, who has struggled to convince some sections of the Emirates faithful since his arrival. The Frenchman urged patience, noting that even established Premier League stars like Rodri faced initial doubts when they first moved to England. Henry believes the criticism is simply a byproduct of playing for a club at the top of the table.

"People like to talk a lot about everything and everyone. First it was Bukayo Saka, then Odegaard, then Gyokeres, Chelsea, Cole Palmer, the referee etc," Henry noted. "Zubimendi just arrived in the league, and when Rodri first arrived I remember people weren’t sure about him. If you’re not at the top or the bottom, I’m not sure people will talk about you. I’ve been there, so embrace being criticised, and make sure that at the end you can show something that might prove people wrong."