“Arteta has got nothing to show for this project.” Hendrick | OneFootball

Arsenal’s Decline and Liverpool’s Standard: What A Eye Scouted Revealed

In a searing takedown on AI Scouted via Anfield Index Pro, Guy Drinkel joined Dave Hendrick to dissect Arsenal’s recent failures — not just in the league, but in identity, philosophy, and management. With Liverpool already crowned Premier League champions and Arne Slot now at the helm, the pair made no attempt to spare Arsenal and Mikel Arteta from stern judgement.

Arsenal’s Five-Year Project: One FA Cup and a Billion Spent

“Another season of failure for Arsenal,” Hendrick declared, summarising the Gunners’ campaign. The conversation began with laughter about Arsenal’s “histrionics and the lies from Mike Arteta,” particularly his claim that PSG’s bench said Arsenal were “by far the better team” — a statement that PSG boss Luis Enrique quickly denied.

Photo IMAGO

The scrutiny turned forensic as the hosts unpacked five years under Arteta. “Since the start of the Mike Arteta project in the summer 2020… they have won nothing,” said Hendrick. Noting that nearly £750 million in transfer fees, £150 million in agent fees, and £100 million in payoffs had gone into the project, he summarised: “That’s about a billion quid… and they’ve won nothing.”

Even Arsenal’s solitary trophy came under fire. “He’s won one FA Cup with Unai Emery’s team… an FA Cup against Frank [Lampard],” scoffed Drinkel. The run was described as fortunate, played “in front of empty stadiums,” with scorers who were soon “run out of the club.”

The Unmerited Arrogance of Mikel Arteta

“Is there a more unlikable manager doing the rounds at the minute than Arteta?” Drinkel posed. Hendrick responded with comparisons to the likes of Mourinho and Simeone, managers who had earned their arrogance through “consistent elite-level winning.” By contrast, he noted, “Arteta has got nothing to show for this project.”

“Discipline is a managerial issue,” Hendrick added, slamming Arsenal’s string of reckless yellow and red cards. “He’s not coaching discipline in this team.”

Inadequate Squad Building and Tactical Conservatism

Arsenal’s squad planning came in for especially sharp criticism. “They’re not a finished squad… and this is five years and £750 million in,” Hendrick said. “You shouldn’t still be looking at it and going ‘Well, we need X, Y, Z and then two other things’.”

The signings of Declan Rice (£105 million), Kai Havertz (£65 million), and Ben White (£50 million) were condemned for “bad profiling.” On Rice, Hendrick noted: “He’s not a 105-million-pound footballer… not transformative and not a number six either.”

Photo: IMAGO

Arteta’s tactical style was another sticking point. “He’s playing a reductive brand of football,” said Hendrick. “He’s not coaching his team to defend well — he’s coaching his team to be defensive.”

The stats did not flatter: Arsenal have scored “64 goals in 35 games… less than Newcastle,” Hendrick emphasised. “Look at the PSG second leg. All bar two of their good chances come from a throw-in, a free-kick or a corner. That’s plan A.”

Contrasting with Liverpool: Structure, Success and Identity

While Arteta’s Arsenal flounder, Liverpool was held up as a blueprint. Drinkel highlighted how Liverpool spent prudently: “We bought Alisson who wasn’t the world’s best keeper at the time… Mane didn’t come on a massive wage.” Hendrick added, “Our players only got big wages on their second contracts — after they’d won the Champions League.”

And Liverpool’s tactical approach? “Klopp went with a 4-6 [attack-defence] split. Brave managers go 4-6. Arteta goes 6-4,” Hendrick said. “There’s a lack of attacking thrust — that’s on the manager.”

Both presenters noted that Arsenal may have already missed their opportunity. “That might have been their window — and they’ve blown it,” Hendrick concluded. “Windows don’t stay open forever.”

Final Thoughts

Five years. One inherited trophy. A billion spent. No progress in the eyes of Dave Hendrick and Guy Drinkel. And if the phrase “specialists in failure” — originally coined by José Mourinho — stings Arsenal fans, they may need to start demanding more than possession stats and explanations.

Because, as Drinkel reminded us in closing, “Winners win. Losers explain.”