Written by Mean Lean on Tuesday, 10 January 2012 14:53

"Those who are being handsomely paid for writing about the match will be hoping that the game is still level at least before Henry comes on"

That is what I wrote pre-match but I didn't continue to write the fairy tail ending because it was too cheesy, too cliche and too obvious. It would have been what Arsenal fans would have spoken about in the pubs before the game but then had a collective chuckle at the far fetched story.

We should have been way out of sight in 68 minutes when Thierry Henry and Theo Walcott waited to swap with Marouane Chamakh and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. Theo came on first almost invisible to the Emirates crowd, that is nothing to do with Theo Walcott, it could have been almost any other player coming on and they would have been irrelevant.

The atmosphere was being wound up for our record goal scorer and Arsenal legend Thierry Henry wearing the number 12 shirt, the shirt that he had worn for France for so long. When he stepped onto the pitch it was almost as if a goal had been scored.

My first impression of Henry jogging around the pitch trying to get on the end of a few passes to feet was that naturally some of his former mobility had gone, he looked his age and didn't look as if he was about to take up that left channel position and burn past the right back as he used to do in days gone by.

I wondered if he would get that chance to score, would the ball fall to him and if so would he take it. I glanced at the time remaining on my television screen and said to myself that he would probably get one chance, I hope he gets that chance soon. Apparently four touches later, Alex Song had driven forward into an advance position, a position that our deeper midfielders needed to get into more often during the game and for a split second Song and Henry had connected on a higher wavelength. Henry's spinning run away from his marker and Song's pass were almost made at the exact same moment. Henry took a touch and as if I was watching the Arsenal Matrix film, everything slowed down, he was in a position that we have seen on so many wonderful occasions in the past. Think Roma away, think Leeds United in their last game at Highbury, think countless other times. The moment his skidding, curling daisy cutter left his foot, it looked as if it was wide of the post but in each slow motion frame, the ball just curls into the inside side netting.

"No way!" I leapt up out of my seat, trying to control the volume of my voice as I had moments earlier said goodnight to my children. I pumped my fists in the air and didn't quite know what to do with myself. Thierry Henry has come back and tucked away his very first chance almost five years since he netted his 226th Arsenal goal.

Amazing.

I have watched that goal many times and there is one close up of his celebration where you get to see the reaction of the supporters from close up, the sheer joy from every face that comes into shot is that of natural happiness. It wasn't the celebration of a goal or even a winning goal but a celebration of a special moment, one that I regret not going to.

The pressure is now off his shoulders and any talk of tainting his Arsenal career can be ripped up and set alight. That goal alone has justified the move.

While that brought back the most vivid of memories, a late run to the corner flag with the ball took me back a few years. All we missed was a few kick up's and bicycle kick cross but hey, he has a few weeks yet.

It would be easy and fitting for this story line to end the article here but there were players out there that deserve praise and shouldn't be swept aside or criticised for not being Thierry Henry.

The common practice right now is to compare Chamakh to Henry, to compare their impact to the game and their goals per minute ratio. Chamakh has been heavily criticised for last night but I saw things very different. Chamakh is not a van Persie, he is not a Thierry Henry. Subtle movement and clinical finishing is not his game. He is a striker who plays for others, a player who works for the team.

For the first time in a long while, I saw the Chamakh of the first six months of last season without the goalscoring opportunities. He looked much more confident in his game and linked with his team mates very well. He created a few chances during the game with lay off's and knock down's. If our system requires players to get in behind and find themselves in goal scoring positions then we need players around Chamakh to do so, if we do not have enough of that type of player then perhaps we need to invest in additional personnel.

Andrey Arshavin had a hit and miss game. Did some very good work and also gave the ball away and missed chances. The difference between the Arshavin of last night and recent times was that he looked like a quality player who lacked sharpness or confidence, he didn't look like a player who was disinterested or past it. That for me is a huge difference. Arshavin was showing for the ball, was getting involved throughout the game and he worked hard.

If we see that for a few consecutive games then there is no reason why he cannot regain some of his best form and confidence, but it is down to him, it is down to his attitude.

Alex Chamberlain is a gifted, natural footballer who is still raw but you can see that in time he will be a superb first team player who has that little bit of Thierry Henry about him. Quick and skilful yet subtle and creative enough to act as a playmaker. He played on cross field pass on his left foot which was all the proof that you needed to know about his quality. He has a larger potential as a footballer than Theo Walcott but Walcott is more penetrative and direct at present and still deserves his place ahead of the youngster at least for the short term.

It is insane that Francis Coquelin is the latest makeshift full back to get swallowed up by the injury curse. Youngster Nico Yennaris impressed me again when he came on. I would like to see him play at the weekend but Arsene will select Djourou. Miquel at left back is classy and once he adds strength and experience he will be a very big player. He never looks phased and his distribution is that of an Arsenal defender.

The team played very well and created plenty of chances but without Robin van Persie starting and indeed Thierry Henry, this team suffer from profligacy. Too many of our players snatch at chances and it was this reason that the score was still level when Henry entered the fray.

Arshavin and Ramsey were the most guilty last night, Gervinho is often guilty. Guilty of snatching at chances. Eduardo, Robert Pires, Dennis Bergkamp and Thierry Henry all made it look easy at their prime at Arsenal because they pass the ball into corners. Even Theo Walcott for the most part in recent years is very composed in front of goal but hasn't been able to reproduce that this season.

Robert Pires has also come back to Arsenal for training to keep fit and there are not many better people you would have teaching our squad the art of finishing. That more than any cameo, fairy tail comebacks could be the most important part of Henry's second coming.

Aston Villa at home next in the cup gives us a very good chance to progress even further but before then we have to get back down to earth and prepare for Swansea away.

Man of the match: Mikel Arteta

• Add New
• RSS

Comments (11)

• 10-Jan-2012 15:26 | | mr h
  

  the king is back!!!! Was following the game on BBC live text and was about as excited as you ever possibly could be following a goal with just words... when I saw the highlight, I almost creamed myself!!!!

• 10-Jan-2012 15:45 | | gunners4life
  

  you don't even mention arteta in your article, and then pom!, MOTM: arteta. haha

• 10-Jan-2012 15:55 | | TrueGooner  - Luke Freeman left
  

  Luke Freeman is gone. I like that kid. I seriously thought he was going to make it at Arsenal. I wonder why we decided to make his switch permanent

• 10-Jan-2012 19:22 | | willie igbafe  - baba gunner
  

  Henry and RVP will b good as pair and this will ensure Aesenal top four finish

• 10-Jan-2012 19:40 | | Podge
  

  Thought that was a nice touch, Arteta can be brilliant and not noticed in a game so keep that spirit for an article.

• 10-Jan-2012 19:42 | | Podge
  

  Poor Leeds not only did they have to deal with a great team like Arsenal away but they also had to face the King. Hey Bobby what's the french for Va Va Voom?

• 10-Jan-2012 20:14 | | pika
  

  my oh my i cant help but thinking where them two amazing life long gooners are mug and colesy...what lads? not even a comment for our King;s return? was that momment not good enough for you ? haha...busted x 1,000

• 11-Jan-2012 13:34 | | Vikram Singh Negi
  

  This is the best match report i have read of this game.
  I loved the part about Chamakh and Arshavin. Others have slated these two, but it showed that playing with the first team rather than the second string/youngsters brought a difference in their game.
  Squillaci too, apart from a misplaced pass, was good yesterday.
  Couldnt fault anyone for lack of effort, cause the effort was there. Just the end product was lacking.
  
  And i would take a full-effort-misfiring Chamakh over a half-hearted Nasri any fucking day.

• 11-Jan-2012 15:38 | | Arthif  - a maldive fan
  

  With 12 minutes remaining, Henry scores his 12th goal in 12 appearances against Leeds utd wearing the number 12 shirt in 2012.......woow

• 11-Jan-2012 19:45 | | Colesy  - Henry's return.
  

  I did wonder (and still do a bit) what king Henry's second coming would be like. It was special to see him in our famous shirt again and he showed what we so badly lack these days in our squad - quality. prior to his introduction, we saw a glimpse of what life would be like should the worst happen and RVP get an injury. Our play was possession without any punch. Such a shame we lack the quanity of quality players we were so blessed to have in the same team (let alone squad) a few years back. Now we only have RVP and Wiltshire (and for the next few weeks Henry). I said I still wonder, because like so many others, I am interested to see what part he plays (super sub I suspect) and how he interacts with RVP in the team formation- if he plays alongside RVP, who loses out?
  
  Tricky fixture away at Swansea to come. Lets hope RVP is fully rested from his trip to Dubai.

• 12-Jan-2012 00:14 | | Nimrod  - just a simple moment of joy
  

  For Le Monsieur.
  Thought it may not work. But one goal in one game in an early round of the FA cup gives so many people so much pleasure, n rightly so. He is part if the fabric of the arsenal
  N now, the winning goal against scum....

Write comment

Your Details:

Name:

Comment:

Title:

Message:

Powered by Compojoom comment 4.1.7 stable