I Don’t have Anything To Prove..Henrikh Mkhitaryan
Henrikh Mkhitaryan insists he doesn’t have anything to prove after leaving Manchester United to join up with best friend Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang at Arsenal
The 29-year-old ended an unsuccessful spell at Old Trafford as he moved south in a swap contract that saw Alexis Sanchez the other way round.
Despite a big-money transfer to United in the summer of 2016, Red Devils boss Jose Mourinho never appeared convinced by Mkhitaryan.
Mkhitaryan endured a testing time during his spell at Man Utd.
The Armenia international often found himself on the fringes of the team but now has a new lease of life at Arsenal, setting up three goals on his full debut in last weekend’s 5-1 win over Everton.
Although he had a rough time in the north-west, Mkhitaryan wants to put the past behind him and find the sort of form that left United and Arsenal battling for his signature when he left Borussia Dortmund.
“I don’t want to find excuses,” he said. “I don’t want to blame anyone…I am starting a new chapter in my life, in my football career and I am very happy to be here.
“I will be pleased to achieve more than I have done in Manchester, of course. I don’t have anything to prove to anyone. I just have to enjoy myself, do my best and at the end I will see where I can reach.”
While in Germany, Mkhitaryan struck up an understanding – both on and off the pitch – with Dortmund team-mate Aubameyang.
Now Gunners boss Arsene Wenger has reunited the pair at the Emirates Stadium having completed a club-record deadline-day move to bring in Aubameyang from the Westfalenstadion.
The Gabon striker scored on his debut against Everton, assisted by Mkhitaryan, who is delighted to be working with his friend once again.
“I think it could only be in a dream that we could join another club other than Dortmund but I am very happy for that,” he said.
“I have known him very well, he is one of my best friends and the best team-mate I have ever had. I am very happy to have him here and I think all the fans are happy to see him in an Arsenal shirt.
“What can I say? I love playing with him. I can understand him from one step and hopefully for the next games we are going to achieve more.”
Arsenal impressed with a 5-1 win over Everton as Aubameyang & Mkhitaryan made their full debuts.
Although Mkhitaryan joined United, he has been a self-confessed Arsenal fan for over a decade having fallen in love with Wenger’s attacking philosophy and has lofty ambitions for his time at the club.
“I loved the way that Arsenal were playing at the time, I loved the way Arsene Wenger was treating his players, I loved the way that everything was happening around the club,” he explained.
“So it was just a dream, it was a drive to say ‘why not? I’m supporting Arsenal and I want to play for that club as well.’
“Of course first of all we have to win lots of games. Secondly, we have to think that we have to win titles because at the end of your football career only the titles mean something.
“I think if you play football, it doesn’t matter for which club, you have to achieve the maximum and you have to win titles because if you are playing just to play football it is better to stop playing it, you have to play to win titles and leave your name in the history of football.”
