24 February 2023 , 03:00
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Arsenal's eyes will be on Europe throughout Friday, with the draw for the last 16 of the Europa League taking place at 1pm.
The Gunners will be able to avoid meetings with other group winners, including Real Betis and Freiburg, after finishing ahead of PSV Eindhoven to top their own group. However, there are still a number of big hitters involved after a play-off round between the runners-up and the teams dropping down from the Champions League.
Away from Mikel Arteta's team learning their European fate, we have news concerning some familiar names from Arsenal's past. Here are the latest lines coming from north London.
Henry's Mourinho claim
Former Arsenal star Thierry Henry has admitted he would have liked to work under Jose Mourinho due to the manager's ability to wind up his players. Henry played under Arsene Wenger in north London and Pep Guardiola at Barcelona but never represented a Mourinho team.
"I would've liked him to upset me sometimes because he was like that," the former France international told CBS Sports: "He wasn't scared of taking a player off at half-time or trying to wind me up, because sometimes I needed that."
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Mourinho previously told talkSPORT he could have worked with Henry when Barcelona - where he was an assistant to Bobby Robson - looked at signing the forward from Monaco in the 90s. That switch never materialised, though, and the Portuguese accepted he never stood a chance of bringing the player to Chelsea when in charge at Stamford Bridge.
Would Henry have thrived under Mourinho? Have your say in the comments section
France forward Thierry Henry had two spells with Arsenal (AFP/Getty Images)"Could you imagine in that moment leaving Arsenal to come to Chelsea?" he said "I wouldn't imagine that. He's the kind of player that you need forever, especially in the Premier League where he was more than any other place."
Read more here.
Arteta touchline antics 'deliberate'
Ally McCoist believes Mikel Arteta's controversial touchline behaviour is a deliberate ploy to motivate players and fans of the league leaders. However, the pundit insists he has "no problem" with how the manager has been acting.
"I don't have a problem with it," McCoist told talkSPORT. "A lot of people have a problem with it, I do not have a problem with it at all."
"I think he's probably done it deliberately," the former Scotland striker added. "I actually think he probably has to get himself into a little bit of trouble to show the supporters [how much he cares]."
"[The Emirates Stadium] is a completely different stadium nowadays... If you're on that pitch and you're looking across to see, 'Where is the boss?'"
Read more here.
Gibbs finds new career
Kieran Gibbs is set for a new role with Inter Miami (Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)Former Arsenal defender Kieran Gibbs has retired at the age of 33, it has been claimed. The left-back, who won 10 caps for England, is expected to take up an 'on-air talent' role with Inter Miami after ending his playing career with the MLS club.
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A product of the Arsenal academy, the defender moved to Major League Soccer in 2021 after a Premier League stint with West Bromwich Albion. Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was a big fan of Gibbs, as emphasised by comments made after he left north London.
"Overall it's true that with Gibbs (it hurt) more than [Alex Oxlade-]Chamberlain because he had been educated at Arsenal from the age of 10," Wenger said in 2017. That was when Gibbs and Oxlade Chamberlain both left, with the latter moving to Liverpool.
"When he arrived he was a left-winger. I transformed him into a full-back because he was not necessarily rated as a guy who would make it as a left winger but I saw something in him that was very intelligent, with pace, that made me feel he could make it as a left-back."
Read more here.