LONDON - DECEMBER 10: Thierry Henry of Arsenal celebrates with Dennis Bergkamp and Fredrik Ljungberg after Fredrik Ljungberg scored the second goal for Arsenal during the UEFA Champions League Group B match between Arsenal and Lokomotiv Moscow at Highbury on December 10, 2003 in London. (Photo by Ben Radford/Getty Images)
Ranking the 5 best Arsenal strikers of all-time
by Adam Schultz
13 Dec 1997: Ian Wright of Arsenal challenges Tim Flowers of Blackburn Rovers during the FA Carling Premiership match at Highbury in London. Blackburn won 3-1. \ Mandatory Credit: Shaun Botterill /Allsport
3. Ian Wright
If you wanted a player who had natural flair and coupled that with incredible finishing ability, Ian Wright was your man. In contrast, he was not noticed until he was 22 years of age. Wright signed for Arsenal in 1991 by George Graham when at the time, the Gunners already had Paul Merson and Kevin Campbell, who were quickly moving up the ranks.
However, it did not take Wright long to move past both. He scored on his debut against Leicester City in the League Cup, but he really announced himself on his league debut.
https://twitter.com/TheN5News/status/1540691901120032774?s=20&t=J7WWEIZ0F5uvw-x8pd-Hzg
A paltry three goals, if you don’t mind, signaled his incredible talent, and that season he took home the division’s Golden Boot as he scored 24 goals in 30 games. Wright would go on to notch goal tallies of 15, 23, 18, 15, and 23 for the next six league seasons – leading the Gunners scoring charts in each.
Such was his talent that Wright broke a record that stood for more than half a decade as he surpassed Cliff Bastin’s all-time scoring record before ending his career at Highbury with 185 goals from 279 matches.
He finished with a league title, two FA Cups, and a League Cup in his cabinet. If there was a half-chance or even a quarter chance, odds were that Wright, someway, somehow, would find the back of the net.
He is a true legend of the game, and we can never forget the infectious personality and smile that continued to manifest after he hung up his boots.
Continued on next slide…
#OTD</a> 1995, Death of Ted Drake – the <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/07/12/ranking-5-best-arsenal-strikers-all-time/3/"https://twitter.com/hashtag/Arsenal?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>#Arsenal</a> man who in one season scored 42 league goals in 41 games and who once scored seven goals in one league game. <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/07/12/ranking-5-best-arsenal-strikers-all-time/3/"https://t.co/v6XOr6Ucfa">pic.twitter.com/v6XOr6Ucfa
<p>— Arsenal History From Highbury To The Emirates (@4949Undefeted) <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/07/12/ranking-5-best-arsenal-strikers-all-time/3/"https://twitter.com/4949Undefeted/status/1531233877829853185?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>May 30, 2022</a></p></blockquote>
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<p>At the peak of his powers in the 1930s, he formed a great partnership with Cliff Bastin, who dazzled the fans with his skill and grace; Drake struck fear in every opponent he faced. He was an integral part of the Arsenal side that tore teams apart in the 1930s.</p>
<p>His seven-goal haul against Aston Villa in the 1935/36 season is perhaps his best achievement as Arsenal hammered Villa 7-1 away from home.</p>
<p>He was the true definition of a clinical and devastating striker who took all before him.</p>
<p><em>Continued on next slide…</em></p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/07/12/ranking-5-best-arsenal-strikers-all-time/3/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Arsenal's Greatest Strikers #3 </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-127369 size-full" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/07/12/ranking-5-best-arsenal-strikers-all-time/3/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1075,w_1600/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1923021.jpeg" alt="" width="1600" height="1075" srcset="https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1923021.jpeg 1600w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1923021-768x516.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">13 Dec 1997: Ian Wright of Arsenal challenges Tim Flowers of Blackburn Rovers during the FA Carling Premiership match at Highbury in London. Blackburn won 3-1. \ Mandatory Credit: Shaun Botterill /Allsport</p>
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<h2>3. Ian Wright</h2>
<p>If you wanted a player who had natural flair and coupled that with incredible finishing ability, Ian Wright was your man. In contrast, he was not noticed until he was 22 years of age. Wright signed for Arsenal in 1991 by George Graham when at the time, the Gunners already had Paul Merson and Kevin Campbell, who were quickly moving up the ranks.</p>
<p>However, it did not take Wright long to move past both. He scored on his debut against Leicester City in the League Cup, but he really announced himself on his league debut.</p>
<p>https://twitter.com/TheN5News/status/1540691901120032774?s=20&t=J7WWEIZ0F5uvw-x8pd-Hzg</p>
<p>A paltry three goals, if you don’t mind, signaled his incredible talent, and that season he took home the division’s Golden Boot as he scored 24 goals in 30 games. Wright would go on to notch goal tallies of 15, 23, 18, 15, and 23 for the next six league seasons – leading the Gunners scoring charts in each.</p>
<p>Such was his talent that Wright broke a record that stood for more than half a decade as he surpassed Cliff Bastin’s all-time scoring record before ending his career at Highbury with 185 goals from 279 matches.</p>
<p>He finished with a league title, two FA Cups, and a League Cup in his cabinet. If there was a half-chance or even a quarter chance, odds were that Wright, someway, somehow, would find the back of the net.</p>
<p>He is a true legend of the game, and we can never forget the infectious personality and smile that continued to manifest after he hung up his boots.</p>
<p><em>Continued on next slide…</em></p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/07/12/ranking-5-best-arsenal-strikers-all-time/3/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Arsenal's Greatest Strikers #2 </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-75273 size-full" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/07/12/ranking-5-best-arsenal-strikers-all-time/3/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1323,w_1600/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F05%2F1565626.jpeg" alt="Arsenal, Dennis Bergkamp" width="1600" height="1323" srcset="https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/05/1565626.jpeg 1600w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/05/1565626-768x635.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">21 Feb 2001: Dennis Bergkamp of Arsenal celebrates scoring the first goal during the UEFA Champions League match between Arsenal and Olympique Lyonnais at Highbury, London. Mandatory Credit: Mark Thompson/ALLSPORT</p>
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<h2>2. Dennis Bergkamp</h2>
<p>There are not enough superlatives to describe this flying Dutchman. He was simply out of this world on his day. Signed from Inter Milan after George Graham was dismissed in 1995, Bergkamp was the player to transform Arsenal from functional one-nil winners into a team that played fluid, attacking, and utterly breathtaking football.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Dennis Bergkamp performed an outrageous assist for <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/07/12/ranking-5-best-arsenal-strikers-all-time/3/"https://twitter.com/freddie?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>@freddie as we beat Juventus 3-1 at Highbury. 2 goals from <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/07/12/ranking-5-best-arsenal-strikers-all-time/3/"https://twitter.com/freddie?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>@freddie and 1 from The King</p>
<p> <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/07/12/ranking-5-best-arsenal-strikers-all-time/3/"https://t.co/RKPLwaWMU2">pic.twitter.com/RKPLwaWMU2
<p>— The N5 History (@TheN5News) <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/07/12/ranking-5-best-arsenal-strikers-all-time/3/"https://twitter.com/TheN5News/status/1541727145474539522?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>June 28, 2022</a></p></blockquote>
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<p>We know Arsenal as the club that plays attractive football. Well, Bergkamp was the catalyst for it. There wasn’t anything he could not do on the pitch. His first touch was exquisite; he had an eye for goal, his passing range and ability were unmatched, and his level of technical excellence still to this day is considered to be levels above.</p>
<p>Many claim that recent players like Martin Odegaard and Mesut Ozil are creative geniuses; compared to Bergkamp, they are a level below, such was his quality. His vision for the play and to see things happen before they do, led to some moments that simply leave you in awe.</p>
<p>*That* goal against Newcastle still defies all scientific laws and is considered among the all-time great Premier League strikes.</p>
<p>https://twitter.com/premierleague/status/860620943936368643?s=20&t=J7WWEIZ0F5uvw-x8pd-Hzg</p>
<p>In total, “The Iceman” played 408 times for Arsenal, scoring 114 goals and grabbing 93 assists, and won several trophies during his time with the Gunners, including three Premier League titles and two FA Cups. A player simply from another planet.</p>
<p><em>Continued on next slide…</em></p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/07/12/ranking-5-best-arsenal-strikers-all-time/3/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Arsenal's Greatest Ever Striker </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-111425 size-full" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/07/12/ranking-5-best-arsenal-strikers-all-time/3/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1226,w_1600/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F56901557.jpeg" alt="" width="1600" height="1226" srcset="https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/56901557.jpeg 1600w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/56901557-768x588.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">Madrid, SPAIN: Arsenal’s Frenchman Thierry Henry (R) celebrates his goal during their Champions League match between Real Madrid and Arsenal, at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, 21 February 2006. AFP PHOTO/ JOSE JORDAN (Photo credit should read JOSE JORDAN/AFP via Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>1. Thierry Henry</h2>
<p>Who else, right? The Frenchman lands at number one on everyone’s list of Arsenal’s greatest strikers and likely the club’s greatest ever player. Signed by Gunners boss Arsene Wenger at the age of 22, Henry quickly became known as one of the best finishers the league had ever seen.</p><div class="widget fs_ads"> <div class="fs_ad_widget-ad" style="margin:0 auto; width: 300px;"> <div class="fs-ll-ad" data-ad-type="minutemedia_slideshow_inline_300x250__desktop__tablet" data-vendor="minutemedia">
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<p>His pace, tenacity, and ice-cool finishing endeared him to the Arsenal faithful. His personality, both on and off the field, was simply sensational and made the fans love him even more. Like Bergkamp, Henry did things on a football pitch that had to be seen to be believed; such was his ability to produce the extraordinary.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Some of our favourite Thierry Henry goals</p>
<p> <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/07/12/ranking-5-best-arsenal-strikers-all-time/3/"https://t.co/gJ79tpNHby">pic.twitter.com/gJ79tpNHby
<p>— The N5 History (@TheN5News) <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/07/12/ranking-5-best-arsenal-strikers-all-time/3/"https://twitter.com/TheN5News/status/1541327296337944576?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>June 27, 2022</a></p></blockquote>
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<p>His mazy run at Highbury against Liverpool, his goal against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu, just to name a few. He wanted the club to succeed and did everything in his power to make it happen. The best part? He did, and he did it with a smile.</p>
<p>He would win two Premier League titles and three FA Cups for the club as he rubber-stamped his greatness on the entire football world with his displays. He is the club’s all-time leading scorer with 228 goals in all competitions and grabbed 108 assists for good measure.</p>
<p>He had everything in his kit bag and more. He had superb technique, boasted blistering pace, and he had the uncanny ability to hold off even the strongest defenders. If you are looking for a player who did ‘everything,’ Henry was it. He was the captain, the penalty taker, free-kick expert, and everything in between.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Thierry Henry scored this iconic goal as Arsenal beat Tottenham 3-0</p>
<p> <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/07/12/ranking-5-best-arsenal-strikers-all-time/3/"https://t.co/RzsS0HYYkY">pic.twitter.com/RzsS0HYYkY
<p>— The N5 History (@TheN5News) <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/07/12/ranking-5-best-arsenal-strikers-all-time/3/"https://twitter.com/TheN5News/status/1541390343131865089?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>June 27, 2022</a></p></blockquote>
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<p>From the 1999/2000 season, Henry was a serious goal scorer and was as consistent as they come. League returns of 17, 17, 24, 24, 30 (Invincibles season), 25, and 27 goals in seven seasons showed Henry to be one of – if not the – greatest strikers the Premier League has ever seen.</p>
<p>His feats on the field were equally matched by his down-to-earth and compassionate personality off it. The Frenchman rightly has a statue outside the Emirates that forever immortalises what he brought to the club and what he was able to achieve.</p>
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<p>In total, the King would finish his Arsenal career with two Premier League titles and three FA Cups and is, without a doubt, Arsenal’s best striker and player of all time.</p><!—pageview_candidate—></p>">
