Angry Henry answers Arsenal critics

Thierry Henry, named this week as France's Footballer of the Year, today reacted angrily to the criticism levelled at Arsenal's strikers and made it clear that the Gunners are not ready to give up the race for the Premiership title.

Henry, who scored a hat-trick in yesterday's 6-1 Highbury win over Leicester, was delighted at the way he performed after the question marks raised against the Arsenal forwards following Saturday's 4-0 defeat at Liverpool.

"It wasn't fair to say the Arsenal strikers cannot score away from home," he said.

"To single out myself, Bergkamp, Wiltord and Kanu is not right. We are not alone on the pitch. We have to go forward, all the team together, not only the strikers. It is easy just to to point at one or two people."

As for the title he said: "It is not finished yet. Manchester United are a great team and it will be difficult to catch them but that is why we are all here, to try to catch them.

"If that is not why we are here, it would be better to go home and have a nice holiday."

But to win the title Arsenal must improve their performances away from home and Henry added: "Maybe we have a problem away from home but it is not only the strikers.

"I know I can score anywhere. But sometimes there is a lack of confidence and the team doesn't go forward enough."

But Henry made it clear that he will not allow any criticism to affect his self-belief.

"I have a lot of character and myself and the team showed that against Leicester. I don't even know if some of the people who said those things about me and the other strikers play football.

"They have to understand that it is difficult to play as a striker and when you play away from home it is never that easy.

"At home it is more easy. But even, say, at Tottenham Neil Sullivan had to make some great saves to stop us after we created some great chances.

"I don't know why but it seems some people always want to make trouble for Arsenal. Since I came here that has happened. But all that makes me stronger.

"Manchester United lost 5-0 at Chelsea last season and no one said anything about their strikers not scoring away from home.

"But at Liverpool we lost one game and suddenly there was trouble with Arsenal again.

"But all it does is make me stronger. I like it when people say there are a lot of things wrong with me.

"In the game yesterday, I wanted to show to the fans that it was an unlucky game at Liverpool.

"They had maybe five shots at goal and scored four times. We had the same at Tottenham and we drew."