Bergkamp admits 'hurtful' watching Arsenal

Dennis Bergkamp says it hurts watching Arsenal not competing for Premier League titles.

The Gunners replaced long-time manager Arsene Wenger with Unai Emery in 2018, but the Spaniard failed to snap their now three-year Champions League drought last season.

And Bergkamp, was in the last Gunners side to lift the championship in 2004, admits its been difficult to watch his former club.

"It (Arsenal) is different, of course, from what I was used to with all the English players and a few foreign players," Bergkamp told the official YouTube channel of fellow Arsenal icon Ian Wright.

"It's now probably turned the other way around. Sometimes it's good, but a lot of times, you don't really feel that it's the Arsenal how we know it, with the passion and a few players who make the difference.

"It's different. It's difficult to say if it's better or worse, well better, of course, is always shown in trophies, which aren't there at the moment.

"On one hand, there are so many clubs who have improved so quickly to a high level, whereas Arsenal, maybe improved, but not to that level.

"It's hard, it's difficult, it hurts sometimes because you feel about Arsenal that they should do better, but I'm still hoping."