Henry: Blame me for pen farce

Thierry Henry has accepted the blame for Arsenal's penalty farce.

Henry and Robert Pires were involved in one of the most amazing scenes in Premiership history at Highbury on Saturday.

French midfielder Pires stepped up and tried to pass to compatriot Henry, but he only succeeded in grazing the ball and a free kick was awarded to City.

Pires suggested Henry was the source of the problem and the club's leading scorer has admitted he had initiated the prospect of taking such a penalty on the training ground.

"We did practice it in training," Henry told Sky Sports News. "But I was the guy making the pass.

"It is the kind of thing that when it does work it looks great, but when it doesn't - well you saw what happened."

Henry is Arsenal's regular penalty taker, but for the last couple of seasons he has had a policy of passing over duties if he is fouled.

Saturday's incident has prompted the fleet-footed forward to confirm he will take all Arsenal's penalties in the future.

"I take the blame because it was my idea, I want to apologise and from now on I will take all the penalties," he added. "But what I want to say is that I won't take the blame for Robert's leg going numb!

"From now on I will take the penalties."

Henry feels it is a fine line between success and failure.

"When it does not work your way people have a go, but the main thing is we still won," stressed the forward.

"I remember a game we played against Newcastle, it was 2-2, and we did not have any subs so were playing with ten. We got a pen and I chipped the ball. It went in and no one was criticising, saying it was crazy.

"I guess we can laugh about it now, but it wasn't fun at the time and I am ready to take the blame.

"But I will not take the blame for his leg going numb!

"It is important we got the three points after West Brom and before we go to play the North London derby."