MINUTES 76-90
We pick out a goal from every minute of our Premier League history, including some of the greatest in our history, as well some lesser-remembered strikes.
By Josh James
76
Thierry Henry
Arsenal 4-2 Wigan Athletic
May 7, 2006
In the 76th minute of the 2,010th and final game, Thierry Henry scored the last-ever goal at Highbury. As the man with more strikes at the stadium than any other player in history, it was fitting that our record scorer should give the famous old venue its send-off.
But the celebrations were hard-earned in the end. Robert Pires put us ahead early only for Wigan to score twice and turn it around. Henry levelled up before half-time with a well-taken finish inside the area, then restored our lead in the second half in front of the North Bank, rounding the keeper after latching on to a loose back pass.
That goal moved us ahead of Spurs in the table, and into Champions League qualification, but the skipper wasn't finished. Freddie Ljungberg was hauled down six yards from goal and referee Uriah Rennie pointed to the spot. Up stepped Henry, rolled the ball into the corner, then knelt to kiss the Highbury turf that he had graced so majestically for the past seven years.
The goal also completed his hat-trick, meaning that the player who scored the first-ever treble at Highbury back in November 1914 was Henry King, and the last to claim the matchball was King Henry.
77
Lucas Torreira
Arsenal 4-2 Tottenham
December 2, 2018
A second appearance on this list from this particular game, but this goal is included as much for the joyous scenes of celebration as for the strike itself.
There had been little to choose between the sides all afternoon, but this Lucas Torreira strike – his first goal for the club – gave us a two-goal cushion, just moments after Alexandre Lacazette had given us the lead, and allowed the celebrations to start in earnest inside the Emirates.
A summer signing from Sampdoria, Torreira had already become a fans’ favourite with his all-action style, and the Uruguayan midfielder shared the moment with the supporters after drilling home our fourth from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s pass.
He ripped his shirt off before being mobbed by the corner flag. As an extra bonus, the three points lifted us into the top four, at Tottenham’s expense.
78
Ian Wright
Arsenal 2-0 Everton
August 28, 1993
A little piece of Ian Wright magic.
Controlling a bouncing ball with his right foot, his next touch was to lift it over the bemused Everton defender with his left, and into the penalty area.
There the imposing Neville Southall faced him down in the Everton goalmouth, but with the ball still bouncing, Wright's next touch was a right-footed lob, leaving the giant Welsh keeper rooted to the spot, and helpless as the ball sailed over him for 2-0.
Three touches of genius, one unforgettable goal, and Wright was then engulfed by the front row of the North Bank as he went to celebrate.
79
Thierry Henry
Southampton 0-1 Arsenal
September 18, 1999
The goal that started the legend. Thierry Henry had signed from Juventus in the summer, having played mainly on the wing for the Italian giants.
By his own admission, he was not looking particularly dangerous in front of goal during those early weeks as a striker for Arsenal. "I was worried my team-mates thought I was rubbish in those first few games," Henry said after the end of his Arsenal career. He needn't have worried.
It might have taken nine games to arrive, but once he broke his duck, he never looked back. Coming on as a 71st-minute substitute against Southampton at the Dell, he scored the only goal of the game eight minutes later.
Tony Adams slipped the ball to the Frenchman, back to goal outside the area. He held off the challenge of Marco Almeida, turned, then curled his right-foot shot in beyond Paul Jones from 20 yards for the only goal of the game. Goal number one. 227 more would follow over a glittering career.
80
Ian Wright
Liverpool 0-2 Arsenal
August 23, 1993
The goal that sealed our first win in the Premier League. After losing 4-2 at home to Norwich City on the opening weekend of the newly-launched top flight, we then lost again in midweek, away to a late Alan Shearer goal at Blackburn Rovers.
It meant we travelled to Anfield for our first ever ‘Super Sunday’ Sky televised game, desperate for points, and after a goalless first half, Anders Limpar broke the deadlock on 53 minutes.
With 10 minutes remaining, Ian Wright – sporting our famous bruised banana kit, confirmed the win. Man-of-the-match Ray Parlour – who had already assisted Limpar’s opener – released Wright just inside the Liverpool half, beating the high offside trap.
The striker sprinted forward and clipped the ball over David James for a richly-deserved second goal after a dominant display.
81
Cesc Fabregas
Arsenal 3-0 Aston Villa
December 27, 2009
One of the most stunning cameo appearances ever witnessed at Emirates Stadium. Cesc Fabregas was only on the field for 27 minutes, but in that time the Spaniard did enough to win the man-of-the-match award, and more importantly the game.
Starting on the bench due to a hamstring complaint, Cesc was summoned by Arsene Wenger on 57 minutes as we toiled against Villa. The move paid off. Cesc was fouled shortly after coming home and smashed home the resulting free-kick from 25 yards himself to break the deadlock, but he wasn’t done there.
He made it 2-0 with this effort nine minutes from time, superbly sweeping home from a counter-attack. Celebrations were cut though as he aggravated his injury in the process and was forced to hobble off again, but by then his work was done.
Abou Diaby completed the scoring late on, but this victory was inspired by a true captain’s performance from Fabregas.
82
Alexandre Lacazette
West Ham United 3-3 Arsenal
March 21, 2021
A header that completed a three-goal comeback away to West Ham during the lockdown period.
The hosts had raced into a three-goal lead inside the opening 32 minutes before own goals from Tomas Soucek (deflecting a rasping Lacazette drive) and Craig Dawson brought us back into it.
But it was this late Lacazette effort that secured a point at the London Stadium. Nicolas Pepe hung up a cross at the far post and the Frenchman firmly planted his header home to claim a hard-earned point.
83
Santi Cazorla
West Ham United 1-3 Arsenal
October 6, 2012
A powerful, dipping 25-yard drive from the left boot of Santi Cazorla that flew past Jussi Jaaskelainen to deal a comeback win at West Ham.
This was the Spanish playmaker’s seventh Premier League appearance for us after joining from Malaga that summer, but he was already showing his class in an Arsenal shirt, putting in a man-of-the-match at Upton Park.
And this goal was richly deserved for his wonderful individual display.
Theo Walcott stabbed the ball to him 10 yards outside the area, Cazorla let it roll across his body, onto his left foot before firing first-time inside the post in front of our travelling supporters.
84
Gilberto
Arsenal 1-1 Aston Villa
August 19, 2006
The first competitive goal we ever scored at Emirates Stadium. Hopes were high on a sunny afternoon in north London as a new era dawned, and we played our first official match at our new home, after spending 93 glorious seasons at Highbury.
But our visitors for the opening day of the 2006/07 season had other ideas. Aston Villa defender Olaf Mellberg has the distinction of being the stadium’s first goalscorer, after heading in a corner on 53 minutes to give Villa the lead.
With time running out, and the Gunners heading for defeat on grand opening day, Arsene Wenger sent on Theo Walcott for his Gunners debut, some seven months after signing. His deep cross was flicked on by Robin van Persie to the lurking Gilberto, who smashed home right-footed at the far post.
The Brazilian midfielder had only scored six Premier League goals in the previous four seasons, but the Emirates was something of a lucky charm for the Invisible Wall – he went on to score 10 league goals that season, eight of them at home.
85
NWANKWO Kanu
Tottenham Hotspur 1-3 Arsenal
May 5, 1999
A crucial win at White Hart Lane that left us in pole position in the race for the Premier League title, with just two games to play – and it was sealed by a moment of Kanu magic.
Emmanuel Petit and Nicolas Anelka put us two goals up after both feeding off Dennis Bergkamp passes before Darren Anderton pulled one back. We were holding on for the win when Patrick Vieira clipped a free-kick into the feet of Kanu, back to goal, five yards outside the box and with Luke Young for close company.
The Nigerian controlled the ball on his chest, then with one fluid movement, flicked the ball over the defender’s head, turned him and smashed home past Ian Walker. “Very few players would have even thought of doing this, let alone accomplishing it!” was how commentator Martin Tyler summed it up.
The win moved us three points clear of Manchester United, having played a game more, but with games against the fourth and fifth-placed teams to come.
86
Silvinho
Chelsea 2-2 Arsenal
September 6, 2000
Trailing Chelsea 2-0 going into the final quarter of an hour, Thierry Henry pulled us back into the game before this stunner by Silvinho snatched a draw.
The previous season at Stamford Bridge we were also two goals behind after 75 minutes, before that day Kanu scored an incredible hat-trick to earn us a win. This time we had to make do with a point, but the final goal was no less memorable.
Kanu tried to dribble into the box before being dispossessed by Frank Leboeuf. The loose ball fell to Silvinho, who strode onto it before unleashing a first-time drive with his left foot that swerved inside the near post.
A worthy winner of Match of the Day’s Goal of the Month competition, it was the Brazilian’s second goal in consecutive Premier League games, and continued the tradition of our left-backs scoring late screamers away to Chelsea, after Nigel Winterburn’s 89th-minute strike in 1997/98.
87
Mikel Arteta
Arsenal 1-0 Manchester City
April 8, 2012
A cracking goal to seal all three points against Manchester City, seemingly ending their title hopes, and lifted us into third place.
We had hit the woodwork twice and had two efforts cleared off the line so it looked as though we would end up being frustrated by Roberto Mancini’s men. That was until Mikel Arteta – approaching the end of his first season with us – stole in to nick the ball from Claudio Pizarro midway inside the City half.
The midfielder strode forward and then unleashed a right-footed effort from 10 yards outside the box that flew past Joe Hart, low inside the upright.
It meant City were eight points behind Manchester United at the top with six matches remaining, but would go onto clinch the title in dramatic fashion with a win over QPR on the final day of the season.
88
Tony Adams
Arsenal 3-1 Tottenham Hotspur
November 24, 1996
Incredibly this is the first of two consecutive crashing volleys on this list – both scored by Tony Adams, both in front of the North Bank, and both scored with his left foot.
With the score locked at 1-1 since Andy Sinton’s 57th-minute equaliser, in the fervent derby atmosphere under the lights at Highbury, up stepped the captain. With time running out, he strode into the penalty area, looking to get on the end of a throw-in, but instead he left the bouncing ball for Dennis Bergkamp.
The Dutchman flicked it superbly into the path of Adams, who had continued his run, before taking the shot first-time on the volley, just outside the angle of the six-yard box and the ball flew past Ian Walker and inside the far post.
Bergkamp later sealed the points with a memorable third on our next attack, but this was the goal to put us ahead, and earn Arsene Wenger victory in his first-ever north London derby.
89
Tony Adams
Arsenal 4-0 Everton
May 3, 1998
The goal that put the seal on our first Premier League title. Needing one win from our final three games, this was our last chance to clinch the championship at Highbury. On a glorious north London afternoon, the result was barely in question after Slaven Bilic’s sixth-minute own goal.
Flying winger Marc Overmars scored either side of half-time to get the party in full swing, but it was left to the skipper to provide the coup de grace.
Steve Bould picked up possession just over the halfway line and Tony Adams hared past him, heading for the penalty box. His central defensive partner clipped a wonderful pass over the static Everton defence, for Adams to chest into his path on the edge of the box, then smash home, left-footed, past Thomas Myhre.
“That sums it all up!” was how commentator Martin Tyler described the goal. As for Mr Arsenal himself, he said: “It was a very special moment, I’ve got some great memories but that’s probably the best.”
90
Dennis Bergkamp
Leicester City 3-3 Arsenal
August 27, 1997
“My favourite goal for Arsenal,” is how Dennis Bergkamp described this unforgettable last-minute strike away to Leicester early in the 1997/98 double season.
“I had in my mind what I wanted to happen, and it worked out exactly,” Dennis explains. “When the ball came over from Platty, I had in my mind to control it. Then luckily the ball stayed in the air, so I flicked it around the defender and then finished, and that was the idea. It all just came together – the movement and the control.”
It was a superb display of poise, elegance and calmness, bringing the long pass from David Platt under control inside the area on his right boot, then controlling on his left before the ball hit the ground. It was enough to deceive Matt Elliot, and allowed the Dutchman to then tuck home right-footed from the edge of the six-yard box.
It was duly voted Goal of the Month on Match of the Day; in fact that month remains the only time one player claimed the top three spots in that competition. The only thing it didn’t win was the game, as Leicester scored an even later equaliser, deeper in injury-time, to make it 3-3, after we had led 2-0 with six minutes remaining.
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