It seemed impossible to add to the legend of Thierry Henry in an Arsenal uniform. Prior to his introduction to the FA Cup match versus Leeds on Monday Henry had scored 226 goals for the Gunners. 1,769 days past since he had played his last game for the Gunners. Over 12 years since Arsenal bought a tall skinny left winger from Juventus. In between, he had established himself as the greatest player in Arsenal history and one of the best the Premier League has ever seen. He led the Premier League scoring charts four times. Henry is the only man to win the European Golden Shoe twice in a row. The list of his accomplishments at Arsenal goes on. Along with the goals were the countless memories of the Frenchman running up and down the pitch creating magical moments for Arsenal fans. His legend and presence at Arsenal can be felt and seen; there is a bronze statue outside the Emirates in his image. It was the sense of drama and the ability to rise to the occasion that made him so special. With all that he had accomplished the fear was that his return to Arsenal his legend might be diminished however, the reality is that after Monday night it was enhanced.
At age 34 he clearly is not as fit as he was during his Arsenal glory years. Nonetheless, his skill and finisher's instinct have not gone away. After waiting 68 minutes to come on, Henry was so eager to get involved in the game that he was immediately caught offside. However, when Alex Song’s throughball found him and the opportunity presented itself, Thierry Henry was the coolest man in North London as he threaded the ball into the bottom right corner. The Emirates went into euphoria in the 78th minute. The crowd was on its feet as its hero ran down the sidelines to hug his fellow Frenchman, his mentor, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger. Thierry Henry was back.
At age 34 he clearly is not as fit as he was during his Arsenal glory years. Nonetheless, his skill and finisher's instinct have not gone away. After waiting 68 minutes to come on, Henry was so eager to get involved in the game that he was immediately caught offside. However, when Alex Song’s throughball found him and the opportunity presented itself, Thierry Henry was the coolest man in North London as he threaded the ball into the bottom right corner. The Emirates went into euphoria in the 78th minute. The crowd was on its feet as its hero ran down the sidelines to hug his fellow Frenchman, his mentor, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger. Thierry Henry was back.
Since his departure, Robin van Persie has been doing an admirable job in filling his shoes. Apart from van Persie, however, Arsenal has almost no other options at striker. Arsenal knows that Thierry Henry is not going to help them break into the top 4 and win the Premier League. However, it was a trademark, drop-the-shoulder finish that reeked of the Arsenal glory years and Henry in his pomp. Henry did the impossible and added another chapter to his legend at Arsenal.
-Written by Brian Palmer
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