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Thierry Henry has described Unai Emery as a "tactical genius" and regrets the Spaniard's sacking by Arsenal.

Emery is now the toast of the Premier League after guiding Aston Villa back to the Champions League with a top-four finish last season before seeing his current club beat the mighty Bayern Munich at Villa Park on Wednesday.

Emery took the reins at Arsenal in 2018, stepping into the shoes of legendary manager Arsene Wenger after his 22-year tenure. But his stint at the Emirates was cut short after just 18 months and he was replaced by former Arsenal skipper Mikel Arteta.

Despite Arteta transforming Arsenal into genuine Premier League title contenders, Gunners legend Henry is of the opinion that Emery would have achieved the same if he hadn't been prematurely dismissed.

Since his departure from Arsenal, Emery has clinched the Europa League with Villarreal and made Villa a force once more in the top-flight..

Henry told CBS Sports: "He's a tactical genius. He always goes out there and makes sure that his team has an advantage tactically because that's how he operates."

"We all know what he did in Spain . It's no disrespect to what Mikel Arteta is doing and he's doing extremely well for Arsenal, but I just thought that if we kept him a bit longer he would have been a success at Arsenal."

"He did show it straight after when he left the club. I have massive respect for him.", reports the Mirror.

Jamie Carragher, fellow pundit and ex-Liverpool defender, chimed in: "I think he's fantastic. I think he's one of the best coaches in European football."

"He's had great success in Europe, not in this particular competition but in the Europa League specifically with Sevilla and Villarreal. I would say in the English Premier League we have Pep Guardiola above everybody else and he comes second."

"He's not at one of the biggest clubs and when you think of the effect a manager can have on a football club... I always believe the manager is the most important person at a club and he is testament to that."

"That was a team who were flirting with relegation and within a couple of years they're in the Champions League. It's phenomenal what he's done."

Emery's stock will only continue to rise after he masterminded one of the greatest night in Villa's recent history. After winning on their Champions League return vs Young Boys, the visit of Bayern was their first chance to go head-to-head with one of Europe's heavyweights - the club Villa beat in 1982 to win the European Cup.

And after a tight contest at Villa Park, Jhon Duran delivered the knockout blow to secure a famous victory and send out a massive statement to their Champions League rivals.

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