Category Archives: Thierry Henry

Sunderland 1-2 Arsenal: Henry winner puts Gunners in 4th

  By jtom | 12/02/2012 - 8:25 AM | Match Report, Premier League, Thierry Henry
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“Thierry Henry finished the story of a legend today,” Arsene Wenger said after Arsenal’s 2-1 victory over Sunderland. Henry’s fairytale return has been truly magical, but, more importantly, Saturday’s win pushed the Gunners back into the top four.

The three points would not have been awarded to Arsenal had Wenger not made three brilliant substitutions. Aaron Ramsey scored with his first touch in the 75th minute, while Andrei Arshavin and Henry combined for the winner in the first minute of added time.

There is a bit of irony in it all because, just a few weeks ago, Wenger was vilified for taking off Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain for Arshavin. On Saturday, all three changes turned out to be masterstrokes, yet it appears that the same level of attention is not given when Wenger’s subs do work perfectly.

Unfortunately, one of those brilliant substitutions will be on his way back to New York on Thursday, right after the clash with AC Milan. They say you can never go back, but don’t tell that to Thierry Henry. Five years after he left the Emirates Stadium, Henry has returned in glorious fashion.

When asked whether this was his last Premier League game for Arsenal, Henry said, “You can never say never. I felt just like a kid who scores his first goal for the team he loves.

“If Arsenal need some help one day I will be around.” (Source: The Sun)

Since he signed on loan, Henry has been an effective tool off the bench for Arsene Wenger. He has scored three goals, including two vital winners against Leeds in the FA Cup and against Sunderland on Saturday. Clearly, he has not lost the finishing touch that made him one of the most prolific strikers in the history of English football.

Perhaps Henry’s biggest contribution in his second term at Arsenal has been helping the Gunners find their way into the top four. The importance of qualifying for the Champions League cannot be understated, and even with the relatively poor quality of our squad, we can still avoid the crisis of finishing outside of the top four.

Due to the failures of our rivals, we are now sitting in fourth, if only by goal difference. Our competitors for the fourth spot (Chelsea, Liverpool, and Newcastle) all lost on Saturday. The race for the top four is far from over, but we are currently in the driver’s seat.

Despite Henry’s legendary comeback and Arsenal’s jump to fourth, Per Mertesacker probably had one of his worst experiences in football. The German centre-back crumbled to the ground in pain while chasing down the ball. To add insult to injury, James McClean ran past Mertesacker and scored to put Sunderland up by a goal.

The incident was similar to John Terry’s slip at Stamford Bridge that allowed van Persie to walk in and score, but the difference was that Mertesacker actually sustained what looks to be a very serious injury. Wenger provided an update on Per after the game:

“Mertesacker told me that he got a shot in his ankle and couldn’t move at all anymore. We are a bit worried about his ankle I must say because he goes home on crutches. He has done some ligament damage, but how big that is we will have to check tomorrow. For sure he is out for Wednesday.” (Source: Arsenal.com)

Just as it appeared that our defence was starting to get healthy again, Mertesacker goes down with possibly a long-term injury.

Aside from Mertesacker’s injury, Saturday was the perfect day to be a Gooner. All of our closest rivals failed, while we succeeded with a late goal scored by a returning club legend. Now, the attention turns to Milan. Arsenal will try to keep the momentum going at the San Siro on Wednesday night.

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Arsenal 1-0 Leeds United: Henry’s dream return (VIDEO)

  By jtom | 10/01/2012 - 7:33 AM | FA Cup, Match Report, Thierry Henry
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Pure magic. With all the pressure mounted upon his shoulders, Thierry Henry scored the winner twelve minutes from the end of the match after coming on as a substitute in his second debut for Arsenal. No best-selling author could have written the story any better; it’s the stuff of legends.

Alex Song spotted Henry as he slipped in behind the Leeds’ backline, and the King provided a lesson in world-class finishing. The calm strike from a tight angle appeared easy, but the best always make the spectacular look simple. Curled into the far corner, the goal was certainly vintage Henry. Cool, calm, and collected.

The celebration showcased Henry’s endearing love to Arsenal, and also his passion for success. He ran towards the corner flag with his arms outstretched and his mouth open in delight, before running to hug Arsene Wenger. Then came the customary chest-thumping that we’ve come to know and love. I would like to see more of this kind of passionate celebration to help bring the fans into the game.

After the match, Henry made it a point to say that this goal was different from the other 226: “I am enjoying the club as a fan where I wasn’t before: now I know how people feel when they score for the club they support.” (Source: The Guardian)

Our all-time top goalscorer also took time during a post-match interview to dedicate the performance to Paul Johnson and his mother, who recently passed away. She worked in Henry’s box at Ashburton Grove, and Paul currently works for Arsenal Football Club. It was a nice gesture from a player who sometimes seems nasty on the pitch.

Before Henry’s special moment, the match was truly dull. Andrei Arshavin and Marouane Chamakh proved again to be an ineffective duo. While the little Russian at least created a few chances, Chamakh was completely off the pace. Both players are clearly trying hard to regain their top form, but, at the moment, it is nowhere close to good enough.

Arsene Wenger’s side dominated the match in terms of possession and total shots, but Leeds remained strong at the back. They didn’t pose a serious threat on Szczesny’s goal until late in the game, when Ross McCormack’s header went straight into the open arms of the Polish keeper. If the Leeds striker would have directed his shot towards either corner, Henry’s coming-home party may have ended in disappointment.

Another match, another injury to an Arsenal defender. This time, Francis Coquelin succumbed to an injury in the first half and Nico Yennaris had to replace him. After the match, Arsene Wenger revealed that Coquelin suffered a hamstring injury that will keep him out for a “few weeks.”

Aston Villa will visit the Emirates Stadium for the FA Cup Fourth Round. Last season, we were eliminated in the Fourth Round after falling to Manchester United at Old Trafford. Hopefully, the Gunners will take advantage of their relatively easy draw to advance further in what is our most winnable competition this year.

Thierry Henry secured Arsenal’s position in the next round of the cup after rescuing Arsene Wenger’s side from a replay at Elland Road. After downplaying expectations, he became a hero once more. Henry’s goal will be one of, if not the best, Arsenal moments of this season, and one of the great moments in the short history of Ashburton Grove. Henry said post-match:

“I hope I won’t wake up tomorrow and someone’s going to tell me that it was a dream.”

Gooners all across the globe shared Henry’s sentiment on Monday night.

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Thierry Henry warns about high expectations

  By jtom | 07/01/2012 - 8:00 AM | Thierry Henry
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Thierry Henry

He's back.

Theirry Henry’s two-month loan deal to Arsenal was finalised on Friday, just in time to register him for upcoming match against Leeds. The King has returned home, but Henry is warning supporters that he may not not even make the bench.

Judging by the amount of articles, pictures, and videos Arsenal have published on their official website regarding Henry in the last two days, one would think that we have just signed Messi to a long-term contract. Even though he will only be with the club until the end of Feburary at the latest, the hype around Theirry’s comeback has grown exponentially.

On Friday, Henry said: “It looks more like I’m going to be a bench player. Or maybe not on the bench but more of an ‘out of the side’ type of player. I hope people are not going to compare what I did here before.” (Source: Arsenal.com)

I think our all-time top goalscorer is seriously overestimating the quality, or lack thereof, of our bench. If a player has a contract, a shirt number, and is over the age of 15, he’ll probably be selected by Arsene Wenger. Possibly, Henry was just having a laugh, though he didn’t look playful when he said it.

Most Gooners are only expecting Henry to improve on what Marouane Chamakh has done this season, which is not much to ask. In fact, unless Henry scores several own goals, he will better the Chamakh’s feeble performances.

While he clearly wants to help out, Thierry Henry made it clear that he is not coming back to be a “hero.” From what I understand, he no longer has a massive ego, so hopefully there will be no scowling at the younger players. Playing in the MLS will certainly humble a player, as will age.

Arsene Wenger said at his pre-Leeds press conference that Henry “will be involved” for the FA Cup tie on Monday night at the Emirates Stadium, though not for the full 90 minutes. Both Wenger and Henry said that some conditioning will be needed to regain top fitness.

Of course, Henry expressed plenty of emotion during his first interview: “Arsenal and me has always been a love story, with some bad days. Hopefully people agree with me that there were more good days than bad, but I just love the Club.

“For me being able to come here and train, being in the dressing room and seeing all the training staff, I have no words to describe it. To wear the jersey one more time, I can only be honoured. People might think I am just saying that, but when I left this Club I cried and I cried for the statue. I haven’t cried a lot in my career, but when I do it seems that something is happening with Arsenal.

“In my time here I always tried to be honest, and I think the fans can see that. When I am happy, I am happy and when I am not they can see it too. They say love is blind, but it is difficult for me to say no to Arsenal.” (Source: Arsenal.com)

I think I almost developed a tear in my eye.

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