49

Robin van Persie

Charlton ATHLETIC 1-2 Arsenal

September 30, 2006

When Emmanuel Eboue pulled his cross back from the right wing, Robin van Persie is still a good seven or eight yards outside the Charlton area. A matter of seconds later, the ball is in the back of the net and the fans inside The Valley have just witnessed one of the all-time great Premier League volleys.

While Eboue's high cross was airborne, the Dutchman arrived at pace to meet it, springing up to get his left boot to the ball, and fire it home beyond Scott Carson into the roof of the net from 20 yards.

It was an incredible display of skill and ingenuity, executed perfectly; an absolute wonder strike. What's more, this was the winning goal, after van Persie himself had equalised Darren Bent's opener. 

"It was the goal of a lifetime," Arsene Wenger said afterwards. "I feel the cross from Emmanuel Eboue was fantastic. Robin took the ball at full pace and full power and his technique and his movement were perfect. It looked like it would go over the bar so when it came down and into the corner it was unbelievable."

50

Thierry Henry

Arsenal 4-2 Liverpool

April 9, 2004

The turning point in the Invincibles season. Over the preceding six days, we had crashed out of both the FA Cup and Champions League to end any hopes of a treble, and now, early in the second half of our 32nd league game of the season, Liverpool were threatening to ruin our chances in the Premier League too. Thierry Henry had other ideas.

The team's talisman, leading scorer and arguably best player in the world at that time decided to take matters into his own hands, and how. Picking up possession in midfield just inside the Liverpool half, the visitors had a good shape, with 10 men back, happy to defend their position at 2-2, having just conceded via Robert Pires.

You sense they could have had twice as many men on the pitch and it would have made little difference. Henry headed straight for goal, wriggling past Dietmar Hamann and putting him on his backside before breaking into the area. There he feinted past Jamie Carragher, sending him to the turf as well, before opening up his body for a trademark right foot finish low into the corner beyond Jerzy Dudek. Highbury exploded. The title was back on. The unbeaten season was back on. And Thierry Henry - who would later complete a hat-trick - had shown once again that he was untouchable in English football. 

“Nothing makes sense," Henry said recently. "When you look at it, why am I there with Gilberto Silva? I don’t even know. All I know is that when I had the ball, I saw the goal. That stadium had a heart and it wasn’t beating.

“I can relive the heart of that stadium through that goal, when I felt it going again. It went back beating again. When I watch my goals, I never really get goosebumps, but with that one even watching it now, I do get goosebumps."

51

Granit Xhaka

Crystal Palace 2-2 Arsenal

October 28, 2018

The angle was against him, but Granit Xhaka's power and precision was such that he was able to arrow this unforgettable free-kick into the top corner.

The kick was awarded on the right-hand edge of the box, usually crossing territory for most set pieces. But our midfielder had other ideas.

He wound up his powerful left foot, and picked out the top corner - over the wall and across the keeper to level up this London derby at 1-1.

It was the only place he could have squeezed the ball in, but the speed at which he struck it gave Wayne Hennessey no chance in the Palace goal.

52

Laurent Koscielny

Newcastle United 0-1 Arsenal

May 19, 2013

The goal that assured Champions League football on the final day of the 2012/13 season.

It was always going to be a nervy affair at St James' Park, knowing that any slip up could be capitalised on by Tottenham, who needed to better our result to pip us to fourth place, and it was a close-run thing throughout the afternoon.

The only goal came early in the second half. Theo Walcott sent in a free-kick from the right, which Lukas Podolski flicked on in to the danger area. Five yards from goal, Laurent Koscielny acrobatically met the ball on the volley, diverting it past Steve Harper.

Tottenham did win late on against Sunderland, meaning Koscielny's 52nd-minute goal was crucial - the second season in a row the defender came up trumps on the final day. And so we sealed our 16th consecutive Champions League qualification, and finished above our north London rivals for the 18th season in a row.

53

Aaron Ramsey

Norwich City 0-2 Arsenal

May 11, 2014 

Our top four place was already assured going into the final day, and we had an FA Cup final to look forward the following week while the hosts were all-but confirmed as relegated.

So this game seemed to be lacking in a certain lustre, until Aaron Ramsey broke the deadlock with this thumping volley.

Six days after this game Ramsey would cap a superb individual season with the winning goal in the Cup final, set up by Olivier Giroud. And the two warmed up for Wembley by combining well at Carrow Road.

The Frenchman took the ball just inside the top left hand corner of the penalty before standing up a deep cross to Ramsey. He adjusted his body shape, watched the flight of the cross the whole way, then smashed a right-footed volley back across goal and into the opposite top corner.

56

Bukayo Saka

Arsenal 3-1 Chelsea

December 26, 2020 

"Of course man, he was off his line!" was Bukayo's reaction when asked whether he meant this audacious lob over Edouard Mendy at the Emirates. By now we shouldn't be doubting him.

This was only Bukayo's second Premier League goal at home, but he was fast becoming one of the most exciting talents in the whole league - this goal only added to the hype.

Already leading 2-0, Bukayo put the result beyond doubt before the hour mark, looping his right-footed shot over the keeper and into the far top corner from just inside the penalty area.

Chelsea stood off him as he received the ball from Emile Smith Rowe, and the winger didn't need a second invitation to shoot, sending the ball in off the upright, and leaving the defence stunned.

57

Sylvain Wiltord

Manchester United 0-1 Arsenal

May 8, 2002

The goal that wrapped up the league title in 2002, scored by one of the unsung heroes in a squad of superstars.

Just four days after winning the FA Cup final 2-0 against Chelsea in Cardiff, we headed to Old Trafford knowing a draw would be enough to clinch a third double for the club. This was our 37th league game of the season - we had scored in each of the previous 36 - but it was goalless against our closest rivals at half-time.

On 57 minutes Sylvain Wiltord received a pass from Ray Parlour on the halfway line. He ran forward before slipping a pass into the onrushing Freddie Ljungberg. The in-form Swede had netted seven times in his previous seven games, but this time his low shot was parried by Fabien Barthez.

Wiltord had continued his own run after making the pass, and the loose bell fell at his left foot, just outside the six-yard box. The Frenchman then slid his first time shot under his compatriot, to send the 'champions' section' at Old Trafford into raptures.

59

Aaron Ramsey

Arsenal 2-0 Liverpool

November 2, 2013    

Another cracker against Liverpool at the Emirates, scored by a player who was at the very peak of his powers.

Already a goal to the good courtesy of a Santi Cazorla strike in the first half, Aaron Ramsey sealed the win just before the hour, smacking home a dropping ball on the half volley from outside the area, in to the top corner.

He caught it sweetly with the outside of his right foot, to arc the ball away from the despairing Simon Mignolet.

It was Rambo's 10th goal of the campaign - he would go on to score 16 in all competitions that season - and the win also fired us five points clear at the top of the table after 10 games.