Arsene Wenger: Did he get the tactics wrong in Greece? (RossKinnaird/Allsport)

The France striker, who is likely to escape UEFA action following his post-match confrontation with Portuguese referee Vitor Manuel Melo Pereira, hinted at dressing-room disquiet as he voiced his displeasure.

Arsenal have now lost six of their last seven away games in the Champions League and stand on the verge of a humiliating first phase exit following their 1-0 defeat.

Henry said: 'The most upsetting thing was that we didn't play. In the second half we showed that if we wanted to play we could. We went forward and had all the chances. But I think that when you play for Arsenal the opposition have to be scared of us, not us scared of them.

'In the first half we were just waiting all game, waiting for them to score a goal. That's the only thing that can happen if you just wait - you will concede a goal. After that we went forward and you could see what happened. We had the chances but, as usual, it was too late.

'You can't play well only in the second half and expect to win. We didn't do it and that's why they deserved to win.'

Henry may have been seeking to justify his own sub-par contribution. In Athens, the onus was on him and Sylvain Wiltord to keep the ball, a task neither seemed capable of achieving.

More than a few of the fans who arrived home shortly before dawn on Thursday were in agreement that, if Henry had shown a fraction of the passion in the game which he did in his contretemps with Danish midfielder Jan Michaelsen and the referee, Arsenal might have been better served.

Wenger had declared that his policy was to attack, but Arsenal did not produce a shot on target until the 83rd minute. Just as in Moscow, Munich and Valencia last season - and Mallorca a fortnight ago - Arsenal were poor.

Asked to explain the latest defeat, Wenger said his team had 'lost too many fights to exist' but added: 'You don't have 10 chances in a game.'

Yet Henry's accusatory stance was backed up by skipper Patrick Vieira, who said: 'It was disappointing. Our away record in Europe is frustrating because we are not playing well in the first half. It is only after we go a goal down that we start to pick up our game.

'It's a setback but we still have three games left - two of them at home - and I'm hopeful we'll do really well in them.'

They will have to and Henry is likely to be available after UEFA confirmed Pereira had not mentioned the post-match clash in his report, although the governing body could still act on the advice of the official delegate.