Arsenal’s phenomenal form in the run-in has been stealing the headlines, but there some statistics which are quite frankly scary . The Gunners were the worst out of the top 5 teams in England in the matches against one another by far, even Spurs managed to double our points.

Interestingly City and Chelsea finished top after both coming victorious over Manchester United towards the end of the season, but what is worrying is how far off the pace the Gunners were. The losses to Tottenham, Chelsea and City in 2013 really dented their hope of catching the top two or even made a top four finish seem inconceivable.

The only bright spots were the 5-2 win over Bale FC way back in November and the two battling draws against United and City, however the former had already won the title. Here is a table of the final head to head results for the Premier League’s top five:

While we can rue the lost points there is something positive to take from this seasons battles with the top five. Apart from the 2-o loss to City in early January, all other results were 2-1 losses so just the one goal in it. However at times they were lucky to finish with such a scoreline.

Jack Wilshere shared some of his desire to win the big games next season and feels that if the Gunners can do so they can have a real crack at the title. He told Arsenal Player:

The games earlier on don’t decide our season but we have got to think that we have to win them, because that is what champions do.

The likes of Manchester United go away and win games and leave you thinking, ‘they keep winning and winning’ and at the end of the season the points tally shows that.

That is what we have to do [to challenge for the title], and we also have to improve our record against the big teams. It has not been great this season and if you want to become champions you have to beat those sides.

The Gunners certainly have to step up their game next season and switch on from the get-go. The new players are nicely integrated in the set-up now, and after such a stellar run over the last few months it bodes well for a promising upcoming season. But like Wilshere said they need to win the big games as well as the others, beating Newcastle 7-3 and West Ham 5-1 doesn’t make you a champion but grinding out consistent wins certainly does especially against the Premier Leagues elite as it strips points away from the title potentials.

Arsenal’s recovering midfielder ‘Vassiriki’ Abou Diaby has endured one of the most unfortunate injury-littered careers we have ever seen, no matter how strong he comes back he just seems to be a ticking time bomb until another setback occurs.

The Frenchman is currently sidelined after suffering an ACL injury back in March and is not expected to play again until early next year. This was meant to be his breakthrough season after many injury-laden campaigns disrupting his huge potential, however a thigh strain ruled him out for a number of months after such a promising start to the campaign.

The perpetrator? People seem to think it was the horrific ankle injury against Sunderland in May 2006, and to a certain degree yes that has largely affected his constant battle with injuries, however he was clearly known as injury prone when in France. Auxerre vice-president Gerard Bourgoin revealed when discussing Diaby’s departure to North London:

We have always kept the young players which our coach wanted to use. But Diaby did not play, so this was a strategic sale for us.

Abou was one of the players I used at the start of the season and then he had to stop because of repetitive injuries.

With just 123 appearances to show for seven years in North London he has suffered a staggering 36 injuries. Here’s the list:

• ACL Knee Injury 2013 March 27th
• Calf/Shin Injury 2013 February 23rd
• Thigh Muscle Strain 2012 September 29th
• Muscle Injury 2012 September 7th
• Calf Muscle Strain 2012 April 28th
• Hamstring Injury 2012 March 29th
• Hamstring Injury 2012 March 3rd
• Hamstring Injury 2011 November 26th
• Ankle/Foot Injury 2011 July 22nd
• Calf Muscle Strain 2011 January 2nd
• Calf Muscle Strain 2010 December 30th
• Ankle/Foot Injury 2010 October 19th
• Ankle/Foot Injury 2010 October 4th
• Ankle/Foot Injury 2010 September 13th
• Calf Muscle Strain 2010 August 11th
• Calf Muscle Strain 2010 March 27th
• MCL Knee Ligament Injury 2010 February 17th
• Calf Muscle Strain 2010 January 20th
• Calf Muscle Strain 2009 November 7th
• Ankle/Foot Injury 2009 October 10th
• Groin Strain 2009 August 12th
• Knee Injury 2009 July 27th
• Thigh Muscle Strain 2009 April 1st
• Calf Muscle Strain 2009 February 24th
• Thigh Muscle Strain 2009 January 31st
• Abdominal Strain 2008 November 22nd
• Thigh Muscle Strain 2008 August 3rd
• Thigh Muscle Strain 2008 April 25th
• Calf Muscle Strain 2008 March 7th
• Calf Muscle Strain 2008 February 8th
• Back Injury 2007 November 22nd
• Sprained Ankle 2007 August 14th
• Concussion 2007 April 20th
• Sprained Ankle 2007 February 25th
• Knee Injury 2007 February 2nd
• Ankle/Foot Injury 2006 May 1st

It is sad to see such an extensive list for a promising player such as Diaby who has given everything for Arsenal and Wenger. But he was clearly a risk when he was bought and luck has certainly not been on his side.

At 27-years-old, time is running out for the French international, however he still has a contract with the Gunners until 2015. As much as I love his attitude and dedication as well as his ability when fit, it seems that it is perhaps time to depart with Diaby. He would not command a high transfer fee but freeing up his wages will allow another less-injury prone star to make the switch to Emirates Stadium. However this will probably not happen until the end of the year when he can run again!

What are your thoughts on Diaby? Do you think Wenger should continue to pay his medical bill or is it time to let him go? Feel free to comment below…

Christian Benteke has hinted he may not remain at Villa Park this summer after a sensational debut season in the the Premier League, leading to suggestions that Arsenal may make their move.

The Belgian international who is currently on duty with his national side has attracted plenty of interested since his bargain £7million from Genk last summer, notching 19 goals and saving the Villans from relegation.

The 22 year-old powerhouse has been reportedly tracked by the Gunners with Arsene Wenger requiring a top quality striker this summer, and the forward has done little to help convince Aston Villa he will remain there beyond this summer.

Despite his manager Paul Lambert consistently stating their star is not for sale, according to The Mirror Benteke has now been quoted in the Belgian media as saying:

If Aston Villa say I must stay, I won’t necessarily accept that.

I do not in any way want to feel I didn’t get the most out of my career.

The young Belgian still has three years left on his contract at Villa, and it would take a fee of at least £20m (the paper is quoting £30m) to snatch him away from the Premier League club.

For Arsenal it would not be a bad bit of business. He’s a quality striker that is part of the Belgian golden generation, he can finish and header however the main question mark would be over his build up play. Giroud has been excellent at holding up the ball and distributing whereas Benteke seems more in the mould of Drogba who likes to run at defenders and shoot.

But whose to say this isn’t what we need? He’s young and clearly talented, his wages are cheap (currently £25,000-a-week with Villa wages) however the main question is whether he is actually a step up from Giroud who has notched 17 goals this season and is an assest to the squad.

What are your thoughts? Would you like to see Benteke at Arsenal next season? Comment below!

Arsenal have confirmed combative midfielder Emmanuel Frimpong underwent surgery on his knee as a result of an injury he collected while playing in Fulham’s final match of the season at Swansea City on Sunday. The 21-year-old had been on loan with the Cottagers since January as he continued his development.

He has had a relatively successful personal season appearing twice for Arsenal in the Capital One Cup, gained experience in a six-week loan spell with Championship side Charlton Athletic and made his debut for the Ghana senior national side however it has ended rather cruelly.

The youngster who has impressed at stages in his career has had his development stuttered by consecutive knee injuries. He has ruptured both ACL’s and now is recovering from his second surgery to his right knee. His potential is there to see however his injury-prone status is a worry especially with his contract expiring this summer – his future is still up in the air.

Arsene Wenger needs a midfield enforcer and Frimpong fits that mould perfectly. He has the physic and power for the deeper midfield role and has demonstrated his precise passing – something that was ingrained into him through the Arsenal academy. He may not be the finished article but will be a useful asset for the future should he shake off the persistent serious injuries.

Frimpong is expected to be back in action in around two months and is expected to play a part in the Gunners preseason preparations.

He tweeted:

heey everyone i just wanna say i had surgery yesterday night and am expected to be out for 8 weeks it saddens me that i couldnt go play for ghana in the world cup qualifiers nxt month but i have wish the coach and the players good luck for the matches hope we get maximum points from the game also wanna thank everyone at fulham for their support but also is a great feeling to be back at arsenal. have a good day

Get well soon Frimpong!

According to The Sun, Arsenal are willing to listen to offers as low as £5m for club captain Thomas Vermaelen this summer as the Club look for a replacement.

The Belgian took over the armband from the departed Van Persie last summer and despite providing a solid partnership with Mertesacker earlier in the season, numerous mistakes in the second half of the campaign restricted him to the bench.

It was a bold move by Wenger to drop his captain but it worked and turned out to be a stroke of genius. Koscielny stepped in alongside Mertesacker and together they formed a solid centre half pairing – essentially the crucial component to Arsenal’s resurgence.

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Wenger has always insisted how important the Verminator is to the team and that he is not going anywhere, but seems as how he always made similar statements about RvP, Fabregas and Nasri, you always have to take his statements with a pinch of salt.

The Sun are claiming the Gunners are ready to take ‘the hit’ of £5m on the centrehalf who they bought for £10m four years ago. They do however state that ‘he is desperate to stay in North London’ despite the reported speculation from Barcelona and Manchester United.

He has a contract until 2015 and is still a magnificent talent despite the negative hype surrounding him. He played well when Mertesacker was suspended for the Norwich victory and perhaps the relegation to the bench will rejuvenate his form like Szczesny.

The 27-year-old did however produce some horrific defending from time to time including the 2-1 loss to the Spuds. But he still has a future with the Gunners and they should do everything in their power to keep him. Having three world class centre halves should certainly be the minimum.

What are your thoughts? Do you reckon Vermaelen should be put on the market or kept? Comment below!

Jack Wilshere is eager to build on what has been a successful personal season after spending the entire last campaign on the sidelines.

The England international midfielder made his comeback against Queens Park Rangers in October last year and managed 33 appearances all up to help the Gunners regain form, however again injury restricted his involvement towards the tail end of the season.

Arsenal managed a top four finish with limited use of Wilshere, so he is eager to be an integral part of Arsene Wenger’s side next season as they continue their quest to win break their silverware drought.

His form dipped slightly in April, however prior to that he was back to his all-action best. While Gooners witnessed his quick return to form upon his return, he admitted there were certainly moments during his comeback with the reserves that were less than impressive, but that is to be expected after such a long spell out of the game.

Wilshere told Arsenal Player:

From a personal point of view it has been good season for me, especially after last year.

I played no games last year, so to get 33 under my belt this time was great and it puts me in good stead for next season as well.

Hopefully I can get more games under my belt, improve my form a bit more and get back to the level I know I can get to.

I had a good run of games after my injury, then I picked up another injury, which set me back a bit. But before that I was pleased with my form and how the team were playing.

I played in the reserves a few times and if anyone had seen me they would have known it took me a while to get back to my best.

From when I played my first first-team game, it did happen quite quickly [that I found my form] and I was surprised and delighted about it. But the games beforehand… they were not good to be involved in!

This season has been a big stepping stone for Wilshere who had to deal with a frustrating injury for so long at such a young age. The 21-year-old has demonstrated a real fighting attitude and dedication to his recovery however was unfortunate not to be involved more in the season run-in.

This summer he can have a rest, get his ankle sorted then begin pre-season training with the rest of the squad and start the reason raring to go!

Since 2004-05 we have witnessed two types of disappointments. Firstly the years without trophies despite the fact that we have played trophy-worth games on four occasions (Community Shield 2005, League Cup 2006, 2011 and, the most important one, Champions’ League 2006) only to end on the losing side with an identical scoreline – 2:1. The second might have been one of the reasons for the lack of silverware – our armband has been passed around too many arms in the previous 8 seasons.

The wandering destiny of our armband have caused people to make sour jokes about how we should have made Squillaci or Chamakh as our captain in order to lose them ASAP. Here are the stories of our recent captains and this one is going to be about arguably the greatest player in Arsenal history.

Arsenal Fact File:

Name: Thierry Henry

Born: August 17, 1977, Les Ulis, France

Position: Striker

Previous Club(s): AS Monaco, Juventus Torino, Arsenal FC, Barcelona, New York Red Bulls

Joined Arsenal: August 3rd 1999, January 6th 2012 (on loan)

Left Arsenal: July 1st 2007, February 15th 2012 (loan ended)

Total Appearances: 377

Total Goals: 228

Total Assists: 93

THIERRY HENRY
It’s very hard to write a text about the best player Arsenal have ever had. Whatever you write about King Henry, at the end of the text you will realize that you forgot to write something that was under your nose all the time. It’s a bit like picking which of his 228 goals in an Arsenal shirt you consider as the best – no matter which goal you pick, someone might say that you made a wrong choice by mentioning some other cracker.

There are players who are so great that they decide who will win the championship. Thierry Henry, in all his greatness, was probably the key factor that decided not one but two close title races in 1998-99. That season in England, as you probably know, Arsenal fought a close title battle with FAnchester United and Chelsea. In order to replace the brilliant Ian Wright who left Arsenal to join West Ham, Arsene Wenger tried to sign another striker.

One of the strikers that Wenger was interested in was Thierry Henry, a brilliant 21-year-old talent from AS Monaco who showed some of his class at World Cup 1998 where he scored three goals for the French winning side and earned special praise from one of the best strikers of all time Ronaldo Luis Nazario De Lima (sometimes credited as “The Real Ronaldo”) who mentioned Henry as a player who impressed him the most during the Group Stage of the competition. Henry showed his class in Monaco’s title-winning campaign in 1996-97 and their Champions’ League run in 1997-98 when Monaco reached the semifinals before losing to Juventus. His first manager at Monaco was Arsene Wenger but both Henry and Wenger would have to wait for some time before reaching the highest point of their careers. Arsenal did get a striker from the French league though – Kaba Diawara joined from Bordeaux.

Instead of joining Arsenal, Thierry Henry spent the first half of the season in Monaco before he joined Juventus in order to fill the gap left in the Bianconeri attack after Alessandro Del Piero injured knee ligaments. Carlo Ancelotti – who was Juventus manager back then – mostly used Henry as a left winger, just like Wenger did at Monaco. Juventus had had a terrible campaign that saw them far from retaining the title – they only managed to reach the Intertoto-Cup, a competition that used to be a purgatory with a few tickets for UEFA Cup. The title race was between AC Milan and Lazio. The latter were seven points clear ahead of Milan with only seven matches to go. However, Lazio first lost their city derby against arch-rivals Roma 3:1 while two members of their defense (Nesta and Mihajlović) were suspended for the forthcoming clash with Juventus.

That rainy Saturday in Rome turned out to be the shiniest day for Henry in Italy – he scored two out of the three goals he scored for Juventus in total and enabled Milan to reduce the gap to a sole point. After Lazio threw two more points at Florence in the penultimate match of the season in a 1:1 draw against Fiorentina, Milan went on to win the title with one point more than their Roman opponents.

In England, Arsenal were doing well but needed additional fire-power to compete with their rivals so Wenger signed Nwankwo Kanu in January 1999. They were doing a brilliant job to recover after slow start – before the penultimate match of the season against Leeds United, Arsenal were on a 19-match-unbeaten streak including 16 victories and just three draws and were level on points and goal-difference with FAnchester United. The Red Devils had only one advantage on the Gunners – they scored more goals.

Arsenal went to Elland Road to play a tough Leeds side. We had our chances (as well as the hosts who failed to convert a penalty) couldn’t find the net so Wenger tried with the no-goal machine Kaba Diawara in the last 20 minutes of the game. Diawara had his chances to score but it wasn’t his day…just like any other day he spent in our shirt. Instead of victory with at least a two-goal-margin with Diawara scoring at least twice in the process, we ended on the losing side thanks to a late goal from Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink.

Who knows what would happen had Arsene Wenger – at any point of 1998-99 season – signed Henry from Monaco. Perhaps Henry’s golden boots instead of Diawara’s wooden ones would have retained the title for Arsenal at Elland Road. Perhaps things would be different in Italy too – without defeat against Juventus directly caused with Henry’s goals, Lazio would edge out Milan or at least play a play-off match that would settle who would take the title.

Still, Henry’s career at Arsenal was so brilliant that it was worth waiting for. He came in August 1999 as a late signing from Juventus. This time, he had to fill the gap left after Nicolas Anelka signed for Real Madrid and was used as striker. Henry had a slow start but once he found his shooting boots (a winning goal against Southampton), he never stopped scoring and impressing. After Arsenal were relegated from the Champions’ League Group Stage to the UEFA Cup, Henry was playing a key role in reaching the Final of the competition. He scored in every away game and added some important goals at home as well. His 17 goals in the Premiership helped Arsenal to reach second place for the second season in a row, only with a huge gap of 18 points behind United. Henry’s tally of 26 goals weren’t bad at all, especially for his debut season, but the best was yet to come. However, the only trophy Arsenal won was the Charity Shield that took place before Henry joined the club. In a weird turn of events, Arsenal went out of all three cup-competitions (UEFA Cup, FA Cup, League Cup) on penalties with defeat against Galatasaray being especially painful.

The following season saw Henry score less goals (22 in all competitions) but he was scoring more goals in big matches such as against Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham. The goal he scored against Manchester United who had Henry’s former team-mate Fabien Barthez in goal has been considered as one of the most beautiful goals ever in the Premiership – a first touch and unstoppable volley proved that Henry had everything a world-class striker needs. He was also scoring important goals in the Champions’ League including a winning goal at Gerland against Lyon and helped Arsenal go through both Group Phases before losing to future finalists Valencia on away goals (though not before Henry scored an equalizer in the home victory). The highlight of the season should have been the FA Cup Final against Liverpool. We took the lead through Ljungberg’s goal and Liverpool had to be reduced to 10 men when Henry rounded Westerweld and sent the ball towards goal before Henchoz stopped it with a hand. Unfortunately, the referees didn’t see and Liverpool managed to pull off a come-back thanks to Michael Owen’s brace.

But in 2001-02 all the patience finally paid off. Arsenal won the double and Henry’s goals were a key factor. The Frenchman scored 32 goals in all competitions with a late brace against United with a huge help from Barthez being one of the most important moments of the season. It’s a bit ironic that Arsenal secured the title in a match Henry didn’t play – he wasn’t on the field when “we won it at Old Trafford”.

In the Champions’ League Henry scored seven goals (a beauty from the free-kick against former club Juventus) but it was two consecutive penalties he missed that stopped us from qualifying from the Second Group Stage – first he missed against Deportivo at home (we lost 2:0) and then against Juventus away (we lost 1:0 against a second string side).

In 2002-03 Henry scored exactly the same number of goals he did in the prior season – he scored 24 goals in the Premiership (only this time he added an incredible 23 assists!), 7 in Champions’ League and 1 in FA Cup again. This time, it was only enough for retaining theFA Cup. We were 8 points ahead of United in March but we failed to win a home match against them despite Henry scoring another brace and we kept collecting bad results, mostly due to injuries, own goals and red cards that cost us heavily. A home defeat to Leeds at Highbury two weeks before the end of the season meant the visitors retained their Premiership status and United won the title. In the Champions’ League, we failed to reach quarterfinals again after ending third in the Second Group Stage behind Ajax and Valencia despite Henry scoring a hat-trick at Olimpico against Roma in a 3:1 victory. Henry’s hat-trick against Roma was a complete collection as he scored with both feet and a header. However, the closing weeks of the season had happy colours as we won FA Cup and won two last matches in Premiership with goal-difference of 10:1. It was a very promising preview of the next season. Henry himself was voted second in the FIFA World Player of the Year awards.

And what a season 2003-04 was! Arsenal won the title in the Premiership in a unique way by not losing a single match throughout the whole league campaign. Henry was the main man again scoring 39 goals in all competitions and 30 of those secured him another Golden Boot in England. Henry was producing magic in both the Premiership and Champions’ League and it’s hard to pick the most impressive of his goals or performances. It’s all up to you whether you like more the way he led us to come-back in the tricky home fixture against Liverpool during a fixture congestion by scoring a brilliant hat-trick making Liverpool defenders look like dwarfs; the way he scored two goals in the 5:1 destroying of Inter Milan at Giuseppe Meazza with his second goal particularly impressing – he had beaten Javier Zanetti, one of the most solid defenders football has had, before sending an unstoppable low shot into the net; the rocket he launched over Roy Carroll’s head in the home draw against FAnchester United which meant he scored in four consecutive home matches against United; the way he accepted an opportunity gifted by Carlo Cudicini against Chelsea – powered by a new sugar-daddy – to score the winning goal. Unfortunately, his brilliant performances again didn’t give him an award that he deserved – he was again a runner-up in the FIFA World Player of the Year choice but Golden Boot couldn’t be taken away from him.

However, it was obvious that the arrival of Roman Abramovich at Chelsea changed the surface of English and European football and it didn’t happen in a good way. Abramovich injected billions into Chelsea and, after his first season didn’t go well, he was trying to sign the best players in the world. And, Henry was arguably the best striker in the world, the one that could have won matches single-handedly, so Abramovich was ready to splash a record amount of money for him but that transfer never happened. In 2004-05, Henry reached the 30-goal-mark again with 25 goals scored in the Premiership which secured him another Golden Boot as he was joint winner with Diego Forlan. Despite the striker scoring a brace against Chelsea in the first of Mourinho’s visit to Highbury, it wasn’t enough for neither victory nor for retaining the title. We had to settle with the FA Cup trophy that Henry had to miss due to injury. Sometimes, players score brilliant goals in not-so-important matches so those moments of pure geniality went without deserved attention. Henry’s back-heel goal against Charlton in a 4:0 victory at Highbury – he back-heeled the ball through the defender’s legs into the net – was one of the best goals ever in the Premiership but it was usually overlooked in choices for the best goals ever.

The following season was one that was the start of Arsenal’s transition and not just because it was the very last season Arsenal played home matches at Highbury. After Vieira left to Juventus, it was Thierry Henry who got the armband. Given the performances in the Premiership, it would be proper to say that Henry ‘The Striker’ was much better than Henry ‘The Captain’. Henry ‘The Striker’ had another successful season – he scored 33 goals including 27 goals in the Premiership that gave him the fourth title of the best goal-scorer in five years. In the Champions’ League Henry scored a brilliant solo-effort at Santiago Bernabeu to knock-out the Spanish giants in the First Knockout Stage and he added one more in the quarterfinals to help Arsenal over-come Juventus 2:0 on aggregate. Arsenal went to the Final where Henry had two great chances to kill off Barcelona while the score-line was still 1:0 to Arsenal but both times his finishing let him down. Eventually, Barcelona exploited the fact they had played 11 on 10 for 80 minutes and won 2:1. Still, it was great year for Henry ‘The Striker’ as he was breaking record after record – he became the biggest goal-scorer in Arsenal history, he became the largest goal-scorer in the Premiership in Arsenal history and he became the only player to score 100 goals at Highbury. Henry ‘The Captain’, on the other hand, seemed to lack something that his precedes had.

Perhaps that was the reason why Arsenal didn’t win any trophies for the first time in five years. In World Cup 2006, Henry was a member of the last team that has won a knockout-stage game against Spain, he scored a winner against Brazil in the quarterfinals and earned a decisive penalty in the semis against Portugal.

In a way, 2006-07 was the ultimate change. Arsenal left Highbury, a stadium at which it seemed that Henry has his own part from which he scores goals – the one that you can see on the right side of your television, a little bit outside the box, on the left side of our attack – with an unstoppable right-footed curl. Henry was hit by injuries and that was the main reason he wasn’t Arsenal’s top-scorer. He played less than a half of the matches in the Premiership which reduced him to 10 goals to which he added two more in other competitions. Still, his goal against FAnchester United for a 2:1 victory in the 92nd minute to complete the double victory over the soon-to-be-champions – the last goal he scored for Arsenal at the Emirates during first spell – was a symbolic farewell of a true winner. He also scored an impressive goal at Anfield to seal our victory over The Reds in the FA Cup.

Due to changes to our board, Henry decided to leave Arsenal for Barcelona. His first season in Barcelona wasn’t the best as so-called the Fantastic Four – Ronaldinho, Messi, Eto’o and Henry – couldn’t fight with Real Madrid in Spain nor with FAnchester United in the Champions’ League. However, his second season was excellent as Henry scored 26 goals in the Barcelona treble. Despite forming a respectable trident with Eto’o and Messi, neither Henry nor Eto’o were given starring roles in Guardiola’s team for 2009-10. The Cameroonian left to Inter in part exchange deal for Ibrahimović while Henry stayed but managed to score just four goals in an entire season. It was the first season after 1998-99 in which Henry didn’t reach double digits. It’s interesting to say that Arsenal have had the best season in the Premiership during 8-year-drought in the first season when Henry left. It seemed that the players and Wenger realized they don’t have SuperThierry to rescue them anymore so it was a collective strength, especially the midfield, that kept the Gunners in the title race for so long.

Henry’s career then geared towards a slow retirement – he joined New York Red Bulls where he has been brilliant and still manages to score unbelievable goals. However, he got another call from Arsenal and he answered to join the Gunners on loan. On January 9th 2012, one of the most emotional moments in the life of every Gooner took place. Arsenal were playing Leeds in the FA Cup and it was not going very smoothly as The Gunners failed to score against the Championship side. Then, Henry entered the pitch. It was obvious it’s not the same Henry who dominated and looked dangerous in every second of the game. It was more of an old lion who was ready to roar one more time. And, that roar came very soon after Henry entered – he sent a well-placed shot to give Arsenal the lead and a victory. During his two-month-spell, Henry scored an important last-minute winner against Sunderland after Arshavin’s cross while his goal against Blackburn was later overturned into an own goal from Blackburn defender. The finish against Sunderland was probably the last Henry has scored for Arsenal but it was huge – that goal gave us two important points (remember, we edged out Spuds by just one point last season) and started a streak of victories in the last minutes of the match after being a goal or two down (Sunderland, Spuds, Liverpool, Newcastle). I have a feeling that Henry’s presence in the locker room during the two-month-spell had a huge impact on the self-confidence of our players as they could learn from the real winner. It turned out again that Henry has been a better leader of Arsenal without the cursed armband.

Henry was rumoured to be back from America again and to make third spell with Arsenal this January but it never eventuated. It might be best for both Arsenal and Henry given that he is going to be 36 on 17th August and his body wouldn’t be able to answer to the demands of the Premiership. What we need is a striker that can come close to the height Henry reached in our shirt. Just like it’s impossible to find another Patrick Vieira, it’s impossible to find a new striker with Henry’s abilities – pace, height, ability to score both from free-kicks and open play, to make a run from his own half to the opponents’ box, score and then look like he didn’t have to make a sweat. After Henry’s departure to Barcelona, it was Robin Van Persie who was supposed to be the new Henry…but it’s totally a different story. Strikers that also were supposed to replace Henry didn’t (Eduardo, Adebayor) or haven’t done yet (Walcott). Eduardo’s skillful finishing was cut out by the brutal challenge of Martin Taylor on that sad Saturday afternoon in Birmingham while Adebayor’s hunger for money has excelled his playing qualities.

Conclusion: Thierry Henry is the greatest player Arsenal have ever had. His ability to captain our team wasn’t anywhere near his goal-scoring and playing abilities but, then again, only a few things in this world could compete with them.

Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere is eyeing captaining the club in the future as well as for his country which he believes is the pinnacle achievement in football.

The 21-year-old will sit out England’s upcoming friendlies against Republic of Ireland and Brazil with a minor ankle ankle surgery on the horizon, sidelining him for at least two weeks.

Arsene Wenger nurtured his prized assest over the past couple of months, limiting his involvement in the clubs impressive run-in after news emerged that he would require surgery to make adjustments to the screws that were inserted into his right foot.

The star midfielder, who has been heralded as England’s saviour, has expressed his passion for playing for The Three Lions and has made a bold statement by declaring his ambition is to become the captain of both England and Arsenal.

He told The Sun:

I want to captain Arsenal and I want to captain England. That definitely appeals to me. It’s my ultimate dream. People say players are no longer bothered about wearing the England shirt.

But for me it’s the pinnacle of my job because club rivalries go out of the window and the entire nation comes together behind you – it’s the best feeling.

England have a fantastic captain in Steven Gerrard and I assume Wayne Rooney is the next in line. We’ve got a lot of big characters — but if I was ever offered the chance to captain England it’d be the ultimate honour.

The England international may miss England’s next two matches however he expects to return to the international stage for the friendly against Scotland this August.

He continued:

I’m having an operation this week to deal with the irritating scar tissue caused by the screws, but it’s a minor process and I’ll only be rested up for a fortnight.

Wilshere will not have to wait too long to become Arsenal captain with Vermaelen’s future not 100% certain and his ability to captain under scrutiny. The Gunners have a lot of leaders in their squad so the Englishman needn’t be rushed into wearing the armband, but the fact he is eyeing such a role for the club shows his dedication to staying a Gunner for life.

He also has the unique opportunity at overtaking David O’Leary’s 722 appearance record, in which the Irishman would love to see Wilshere break

O’Leary begun his Highbury career as an 18-year-old and racked up the most amount of appearances than any other player. While he wants his record to stand for as long as possible, it would give him great pride should Wilshere achieve the feat as he believes he is a ‘tremendous player’.

The former centre back told Arsenal.com:

I’d love to be proved wrong but I just can’t see my record being beaten.

It’s a lot of games. When you look at the numbers I think we were averaging 50 games a season. I didn’t think it was a big deal, that was what you had to do, you had to play two or three times a week.

It’s hard to see someone going past my appearances but records are there to be broken and if it is I would be delighted if it’s someone like Jack, because then I will know that a tremendous player – who I am sure will improve and improve – played at Arsenal for a long time. And that can only benefit the Club.

Arsenal’s Theo Walcott and Jack Wilshere feature in the first released advert for England’s new home kit

Jack Wilshere has taken centre stage for the newly revealed England kit, tweeting the highly anticipated Nike Three Lions strip of a student at his old school in Hertfordshire.

Check out the new England kit at JD Sports & Pre-order NOW

Wilshere tweeted just before lunchtime on Monday:

Like this kid, my England dream began here, so he was first in #theshirt – England’s new kit from @NikeFootball.

followed by…

Loved being at my old school this morning! Thanks to the kid who debuted #theshirt from @nikefootball. More pics here http://go.nike.com/020inig5 

 The England international visited his old school and was involved with an academy of young, talented stars. Jason (pictured bottom left) impressed Wilshere and was awarded the privilege of wearing the shirt first.

Wilshere said on his return to his old School:
“This is where my dream of playing for England started and it’s great to be back here to see a new generation playing with the same passion

“I gave Jason the shirt because his commitment and work-rate really impressed me today, he showed that it’s what you do on the pitch that matters – from your first match as a nine year-old all the way up to the international stage.”
The new look kit ends a massive 60-year partnership with Umbro and the beginning of a spell with sports manufacturing giants Nike. The Football Association are signed on until 2018 which includes supplying kit and match balls to all of Club England’s 24 football teams, including the men’s national teams, women’s, Futsal, disability and amateur, and sponsorship and support of St George’s Park, the home of the National Football Centre in Burton-upon-Trent.

The latest English kit pays homage to that anniversary by incorporating a number of historic, traditional elements. The simple design features a pure white top with a dark blue round neck collar and an emblem to celebrate 150 years since the Football Association was founded.

The three-lions crest which debuted on the very first England football shirt is in dark blue and bordered in gold, with a star above representing England’s one World Cup win and a banner below announcing the 150th anniversary.

The kit will make its first appearance against the Republic of Ireland on May 29, and then again in Brazil later that week, however Wilshere will not be present who is set to undergo ankle surgery.

Check out the new England kit at JD Sports & Pre-order NOW

Video:

Ivan Gazidis, Arsenal’s Chief Executive has reiterated that the Gunners will strengthen the team this summer to increase their chances of winning silverware next season.

Arsene Wenger’s side went on a tremendous run of form since the loss to rivals Spurs in the North London derby back in early March which can be seen at www.footballscores.com results as the Gunners won nine out of their final 11 matches. Their unbeaten streak enabled Arsenal to beat the odds and sneak back into the top four to quality for the Champions League next season.

Gazidis, Wenger and majority stakeholder Stan Kroenke have been accused by fans of being satisfied with a top four finish rather than fighting for the title and other trophies, however when speaking to Arsenal.com, the Chief Executive has expressed that himself and his team will work hard to build on what is already a strong foundation and bring in some necessary acquisitions.

The 48-year-old said:

Arsène and the team put together a remarkably strong and consistent run in the final stages of the season, a run of form of which we should all be proud. It puts us into the Champions League fight for the 16th consecutive year.

It is important to reiterate that for everyone at the Club, qualification for the Champions League is not our ultimate ambition. Our majority owner Mr Kroenke has made it clear that while it’s an achievement to make the Champions League our ultimate objective is to win the major trophies. We all share that clear ambition and will be driving the Club forward to achieve it. Arsène and I have already been planning what we need to do to strengthen so we are better placed next season.

One thing is certain. The Club is in a very strong position to move forward and our form of losing just one of our last 16 Premier League matches shows that we have a solid foundation on which to build for success.

This is exactly what Gooners want to hear. The past few months have shown that Arsenal bought wisely last summer and have a brilliant base of up and coming players. The likes of Koscielny and Ramsey coming into their own has increased the depth, they managed to keep Vermaelen and Wilshere effectively out the lineup! The most important thing is for Arsenal do not sell any top players this summer and strengthen appropriately. We all know we need a star centre forward, I’m not convinced Stevan Jovetic is the answer, Gonzalo Higuain is a bit more an established superstar and would be an interesting signing.

In midfield we need a defensive enforcer. Arteta has done swell, but he’s aging and does not have the Vieira or Song-esk physicality to him. Perhaps Frimpong could step into that role after a decent spell with Fulham, but his future is uncertain with no new contract signed and his current deal expiring this summer. At the back there could be some minor tinkering, right back requires some more depth with Sagna’s future uncertain too however left is sorted thanks to January’s signing Nacho Monreal. In the centre much will depend on whether captain Vermaelen remains with the club, that could potentially be all up in the air after the emergence of Mertesacker and Koscielny as the first choice duo.

What are your thoughts on Gazidis’ promise to strengthen the squad this summer? Think it will actually happen this summer and Arsenal can take a step forward instead of back like we have continually for the past number of years? Feel free to comment below..