Someone I respected as a legend, but now he is nothing,” Tarkowski said. “He crossed the line and dragged himself into the mud.”

Tarkowski Slams Henry’s Criticism After Everton’s Narrow Defeat to Arsenal
Everton captain James Tarkowski launched a furious defence of his club following Thierry Henry’s stinging post-match assessment after the Toffees’ 1–0 loss to Arsenal on Saturday night.
Speaking with visible anger, Tarkowski hit back at what he described as “disrespectful” comments made by the Arsenal legend on Premier League television, where Henry branded Everton’s performance as “absolutely rubbish” and accused the team of protesting for a “fake penalty” involving Barry.

️ “Someone I respected as a legend, but now he is nothing,” Tarkowski said.
️ “He crossed the line and dragged himself into the mud.”
️ “He talked nonsense on national TV trying to tear down this club. No — not when I’m here.”
Despite the defeat at the Emirates, Tarkowski insisted Everton gave everything and deserved more respect for their effort against a title-challenging side.
️ “I know we lost 1–0 to Arsenal last night, but we tried our best,” the captain added.

“People who understand football could see that. We fought, we stayed in the game, and we represented this club properly.”
Henry’s comments sparked immediate backlash among Everton fans, many of whom felt the former striker’s analysis was overly harsh and dismissive. Tarkowski was particularly critical of Henry’s status being used as justification for what he sees as unfair criticism.
️ “Being an Arsenal legend doesn’t give you the audacity to talk about other clubs anyhow,” Tarkowski said firmly.

The incident has reignited debate over the tone of punditry in the Premier League, with Everton standing united behind their captain as they look to move on from the defeat and refocus ahead of their next fixture.
For Tarkowski, the message was clear: criticism is part of football — but respect is non-negotiable.