Arsenal legend Thierry Henry has delivered his verdict on Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke as the Gunners prepare to make the trip to Liverpool this weekend

Thierry Henry has defended Arsenal duo Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke and believes they are both making an "impact" ahead of Sunday's Premier League trip to Liverpool.

With Christos Tzolis and Bukayo Saka out injured, there were some concerns about how Mikel Arteta would be able to replace them. The Gunners sold Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli in the summer and decided against signing a recognised left wing back-up, while they also opted not to strengthen on the other side.

It has left Arteta with Eze on the left and Madueke, who endured a difficult first season at Arsenal after joining from Chelsea in 2025, on the right. But both have scored important goals in the last couple of weeks, with Eze finding the net in a 1-1 draw against Bayern Munich, while Madueke scored the winner in the 1-0 win at Nottingham Forest.

Despite both receiving some criticism from Arsenal fans, Henry has defended them, saying they are not "passengers" and have been making an "impact" since both Tzolis and Saka have been out.

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When asked if Eze and Madueke can benefit from a longer run in the team, Henry told Betway: "This is why you have a strong squad. Mikel Arteta knows that some players will be missing, some will get injured, and then others will have their time.

"When they have a chance to show what they can do, they need to show it, and Eze and Madueke have been showing it. Eze scored against Bayern, Madueke came on and scored against Nottingham Forest, so they are having an impact."

"Players are coming off the bench for Arsenal and scoring," he added. "That shows you that they aren't passengers, and usually they come on and change the game.

"That's the luxury of having good players on the bench, and that's why Mikel Arteta is calm when he's asked questions about players like Eze and why they aren't playing so much."

Arsenal, who will also be without Max Dowman this weekend due to his red card in the Carabao Cup defeat at Fleetwood Town, travel to Liverpool looking to keep the pressure on Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table. But, after City went to Anfield and won 3-0 earlier this month, it does feel as though there is an expectation on the Gunners to turn up and get maximum points.

"I never used to look at the league like that as a player," Henry said. "City didn't win at Villa this season, and Arsenal did. Arsenal lost at Villa last year. You can also mention that we won at Brighton last year and didn't this year.

"You can look at history and see that some teams struggle at certain grounds, like Tottenham at Chelsea until last weekend, but then you break the ice and it’s all good.

"Last year we lost at Anfield, Szoboszlai scored an outstanding free kick, so let’s see what happens this time. We played a lot of games without Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz, but still managed to find a way. Look at who scored the other day – Konsa and Gabriel. This team finds a way to win games.

"After the defeat against Brighton, I said we have to see if that game would be a heavy one for the Arsenal players. They reacted well, and I thought the approach to the game against Bayern Munich was very good, trying to be on the ball, put pressure on and play through the lines.

"Let’s see what happens away from home against a Liverpool team who are looking a bit better, especially against Brighton. I thought that was going to be a challenge for them, but fair play, they are playing well."