When Ian Wright eclipsed Cliff Bastin's goals tally for Arsenal on September 13, 1997, he probably thought his record would stand for decades. Then again, like the rest of us, he hadn't reckoned on Thierry Henry.
The Frenchman arrived at Highbury in the summer of 1999 as a talented winger. No danger for Wrighty there, surely? Not until Arsène Wenger transformed Henry into a superstar striker and one of the most extraordinary talents to grace the red and white shirt.
Henry studied videos of Wright's finishing and, on October 18, 2005, he surpassed his friend with a double against Sparta Prague in the Champions League. Wright's record had stood for eight years and 35 days.
Henry's landmark moment will live long in the memory, particularly for those who made the trip to Prague. The Frenchman was not expected to play for more than half-an-hour after six weeks on the sidelines with a groin injury. In the event, he replaced the injured Jose Antonio Reyes just 15 minutes in.
Six minutes and four touches later, Henry produced a stunning strike to put Arsenal ahead and match Wright's tally of 185. Then, 16 minutes from the end, came the goal that will be remembered and replayed.
It was no cracker, just a simple swivel and turn. Still it was Henry's 186th in only his 303rd appearance in an Arsenal shirt. An incredible achievement from an incredible individual.
"When I scored the second goal I wanted them, my team-mates, with me to celebrate," said Henry on the flight home from Prague. "But then in my six years at the Club I would like mention all my team-mates. People like Dennis, Patrick, Manu Petit and Marc Overmars.
"These are the guys who have given me the passes. All I have had to do is put the ball in the back of the net. This would not have happened that quickly without them."
Copyright 2024 The Arsenal Football Club Limited. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to www.arsenal.com as the source.
