GUNNERS AND CITY ENJOY A GOAL-DEN DAY
ARSENE WENGER has warned Thierry Henry will have to “sacrifice” his life as the new head coach of Monaco.
The former Arsenal striker takes his first training session in Monte Carlo today after agreeing a three-year contract in his first full-time management role.
And Wenger, who coached Monaco and then signed Henry (right) for the Gunners in 1999, said: “He’s a good choice, he has a lot of credibility. He is very intelligent and understands football.
“Like a lot of players on this high level, he has all the ingredients. Of course you always need a little luck and a good attitude. You have to sacrifice a lot. Basically you have to sacrifice all of your life.” Henry, who spoke to Aston Villa and Bordeaux before taking the post, is the fourth France 98 World Cup winner to land a job in Ligue 1 after Didier Deschamps, Laurent Blanc, and Patrick Vieira down the road in
Nice.
Deschamps also took his first coaching job at Monaco in 2001
– and led France to a second World Cup title this summer.
“We talk together, we have a lot of respect for each other,” said former Chelsea midfielder Deschamps. “I don’t have any advice to give him. Thierry is ready. He’s done everything to get to where he is.
It’s now up to him to captain the ship. He is full of desire and enthusiasm. He has everything to be a good coach.”
Henry, who spent the weekend in London after his final game as assistant to Belgium boss Roberto Martinez on Friday, takes over a Monaco team in 18th place in the French top flight with just one win this season. He will be officially unveiled on Wednesday, with his first match at Strasbourg on Saturday night.
His former Gunners teammate Robert Pires said: “This is all new for him. Nobody knows, not even him, what he will do. With Thierry Henry you need to be patient. “I think he’s learned a lot with Roberto Martinez and I think when he used to play at Arsenal with Wenger and at Barcelona with Pep Guardiola, he learned a lot of things.
“He was a great player but it’s now totally different. Player and manager is not the same job. But I think he can be a success because Thierry loves football.”
Monaco’s big-money sales
ARSENAL and Manchester City went goal crazy yesterday to continue their promising starts to the Women’s Super League.
The Gunners handed champions Chelsea their first home league loss since May 2017 by claiming a sensational 5-0 win.
And Manchester City thumped West Ham 7-1 to continue their own unbeaten start.
Kim Little put Arsenal ahead from the spot before Vivianne Miedema and Jordan Nobbs (below) both scored braces.
Despite playing just four times so far in the Super League, Arsenal now have a goal difference of +18 and a 100 per cent record.
Boss Joe Montemurro said: “We were a little bit different today. Chelsea attack in numbers sometimes with six or seven going forward, and we felt if we were smart enough and patient enough we could catch them on the break.
“To do it in a big game is a real positive with all the emotion around a derby.
“We like to defend on the front foot. Does that leave spaces behind? Yes, but we’re risk takers. Our positional play is very important.”
Chelsea head coach Emma Hayes said: “They’re certainly the team to beat in this league at this moment.
“I think 5-0 flattered them but we were fragile defensively.”
City were without seven players due to injury and international call-ups but did not let that bother them.
They were 3-0 up after just 17 minutes thanks to Caroline Weir’s volley and a Nikita Parris brace (top left, with Esme Morgan).
Georgia Stanway then scored a second-half double either side of Steph Houghton’s effort. Esmee de Graaf scored a West Ham consolation before Tessa Wullaert hit City’s seventh.