Emmanuel Petit sets record straight on Arsenal exit after shock fan rant during live interview

Emmanuel Petit revealed he ‘had no choice’ but to leave Arsenal.

Petit appeared on talkSPORT’s White and Jordan to discuss all things Gunners, who had their lead at the summit of the Premier League cut from seven points to four following a 3-2 loss to Manchester United on Sunday.

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The defeat extended Arsenal’s winless streak in the league to three matches, sparking questions about the squad’s mental fortitude from Aston Villa great Gabby Agbonlahor.

Agbonlahor also criticised the crowd for their restlessness during matches, stating that the supporters need to ‘calm their nerves’.

Petit echoed Agbonlahor’s sentiment and called for Gunners fans to get behind the team, but one Arsenal caller named Gavin, took umbrage with the Frenchman’s stance.

“Emmanuel, all due respect mate, but pipe down on you telling Arsenal fans how they should react because I seem to remember you running like a rat when you were on the cusp of greatness with that midfield with [Patrick] Vieira and ran off to Barcelona, so you can’t talk to us,” Gavin said.

How Petit’s move to Barcelona unfolded

Petit did, of course, move to Barcelona from Arsenal in 2000 alongside Dutch great Marc Overmars.

It brought an end to Petit’s somewhat short stint in north London having joined in June 1997.

However, had it been up to Petit, he would have prolonged his stay with Arsenal.

Instead, it was taken out of his hands by legendary Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger.

Explaining his exit from Arsenal, Petit said: “I didn’t want to leave Arsenal but I had no choice.

“That was straight after the European Championship I won with France. I was driving in Paris and I received a phone call from Arsene Wenger, saying that they agreed with Barcelona for the transfer with Marc Overmars and I said, ‘Okay, so what should I do?’

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“He said you should agree as well with the person on the time of the contract. So I had no choice but to leave Arsenal.

“So it was very difficult for me to go over there, even thinking that Barcelona are still for me one of the biggest club in the world.

“It was kind of a big challenge for me and the last big contract of my career.”

What happened to Petit after he left Arsenal?

Unfortunately for Petit, his move to Catalonia did not go to plan.

A string of injuries meant the Frenchman struggled to hold down a place in Barcelona’s starting line-up.

Petit, a midfielder by trade, was also forced to play in defence more than he’d have liked.

Emmanuel Petit's career at a glance

AS Monaco (1988-1997): 292 appearances, 5 goals

Arsenal (1997-2000): 118 appearances, 11 goals

Barcelona (2000-2001): 38 appearances, 1 goal

Chelsea (2001-2004): 76 appearances, 3 goals

France national team (1990-2003): 63 appearances, 6 goals

Won Ligue 1 with Monaco (1996/97)

Won the Coupe de France with Monaco (1990/91)

Won the Premier League with Arsenal (1997/98)

Won the FA Cup with Arsenal (1997/98)

Won the World Cup with France (1998)

Won the European Championship with France (2000)

His Barcelona adventure ultimately lasted just one season before he returned to the Premier League, but it was to Chelsea rather than Arsenal.

Although Petit saw plenty of action in his first two seasons at Stamford Bridge, his third was derailed by a string of knee injuries and he was let go by the Blues at the end of the 2003/04 campaign.

Despite the unfortunate way in which his career tailed off, Petit looked back on his Arsenal stint fondly and once again called on Gunners supporters – even Gavin – to get behind the club in its pursuit of a first Premier League title in over two decades.

Responding to Gavin, Petit said: “I loved my time over there. I really appreciate what I did as well for Chelsea.

“But to answer… first of all, I just wanted to say two things.

“The first one is when you’re fans of a football club and you support a club you should be positive and not negative. All the time the anxiety you bring reflects the environment that the players are living in.

“And the second thing is that if you judge my career on what I’ve done, you have to judge what I did with Arsenal simply as that, not what I’ve done afterwards or before.”