King Henry’s Greatest Goals!

Thierry Henry’s extraordinary career has come to end. With that out of the way, let’s take a look at some of his greatest goals in the Arsenal shirt.

There have been some incredible and other-worldly goals from Premier League and Arsenal legend Thierry Henry throughout his time in England.

Take a look at the French striker’s five best goals in Arsenal colours.

Arsenal 4-2 Liverpool

Out of the FA Cup and out of the Champions League in the space of seven days and Arsenal looked to be on the brink of total meltdown going in at the break 2-1 down against Liverpool on Good Friday.

Henry had scored before the break and when Robert Pires managed to level the score early in the second half Henry knew what he had to do.

Picking up the ball on the half way line, Henry ran directly at the Liverpool defense swaying and twisting, faking his way through challenge after challenge. Detmaar Hamaan was the first to collapse as Henry surged past the German who fell to the Highbury turf.

Henry shimmied his hips one way before darting the other, leaving English defender Carragher completely perplexed and resulting in him getting tangled with Igor Biscan. Henry then slotted in the ball in typical King fashion.

Henry completed his hat-trick and secured a 4-2 victory, regaining much needed momentum for his team in the league and setting them up for one of the greatest feats in English football.

Arsenal 3-0 Tottenham

One of Henry’s most defining moments, a moment that has since been preserved in statue form outside the Emirates. With the score still at 0-0, Henry picked the ball up just outside the penalty box in his own half. He burst down the right wing, Matthew Etherington attempted to keep him in check but was quickly brushed off and left in the dust.

Henry approached the back four at speed and looked to be arching for a right footed shot before pulling the ball across himself and darting across the left of the 18 yard box and firing the ball into the bottom left corner.

What followed though is arguably more iconic than the goal. Henry sprinted the length of the pitch before sliding on his knees in – front of the fans of Arsenal’s baying derby rivals. Safe to say the Tottenham fans weren’t a happy lot after that goal.

Real Madrid 0-1 Arsenal

There wasn’t much hope for Arsenal in the Bernebeau against a Real Madrid side studded with stars, especially while Arsenal’s ravaged defense included the likes of Eboue, Senderos, Toure and Flamini.

No English side had ever won in the Spanish capital against Real and the Spanish side did have better chances in the first half, but it took just seconds for Henry to make his mark after the break.

Picking up the ball in the centre of the field, Henry shrugged off numerous challenges before handing off Sergio Ramos and finishing across Iker Casillas’ goal with his left boot. Iconic? Definitely. Typical Henry? You bet.

Arenal 4-2 Wigan

It was meant to be a day of commemoration as Arsenal played their last match at Highbury before their move to the Emirates Stadium. Yet Wigan somehow managed to settle in and pick up a 2-1 lead, leaving Arsenal fans distraught at the possibility of saying the goodbye to their 93 year old ground on the backs of a defeat.

But of course, Henry happened. Latching onto a Pires, pass he leveled the score at 2-2 before a slack back pass set him free and put Arsenal in the lead. His hat-trick was completed from the penalty spot after which the Arsenal record-goalscorer dropped to his knees and kissed the Highbury turf one last time.

Arsenal 1-0 Leeds

Sure, there are a plethora of matches when Henry was more dominant, fitter, more aggressive, more skilled, younger even but none of those can even match the sheer Henry-ness of this one.

Henry received a fizzing pass from Alex Song that he somehow controlled, lurking like a predator in his usual left channel. In the blink of the eye, he was in and the defense were scrambling back.

Poor Leeds goalkeeper Andy Lonergan; he knew, we all knew, exactly where Henry was going to tuck the ball, but such is the skill of the Premier League legend that it could not be stopped. Henry lent back, swung his leg and caressed the ball into the bottom right corner. Bedlam ensued.

“I played in some big games for Arsenal, Barcelona, France, Juve, Monaco… nothing will ever top that night for me,” Henry later said.

Cheers, King Henry. Happy Retirement.