Arsenal is one of the most famous clubs in English football. After all, the Gunners have a long list of accolades to their name, including multiple league title wins, numerous FA Cup victories, League Cup triumphs and honours in European competitions.
While there are many factors which have allowed various Arsenal sides to win trophies, scoring goals is key. This is because goals win you games and enable you to pick up the points needed for league titles and successful cup runs. If you like to use the UK’s top free bet no deposit offers for betting on Arsenal games, it is the strikers who can help bets come off or give you more options in terms of markets to bet on.
For this reason, the world-class goalscorers that Arsenal has had in their history rightfully retain a special place in supporter’s hearts. But how does the style of Arsenal’s top goalscoring legends look when you analyse them more closely?
Thierry Henry
When it comes to analysing Arsenal’s top goalscorers, there is only one man to start with! During his Arsenal career, he scored a club record of 228 goals and was a key part of the famous ‘Invincibles’ side. In addition, he won numerous trophies when playing in English football for the club.
But what does an analysis of Henry’s game show us about why he did so well in top-flight English football?
We need to start with the sheer pace he had and the way he used this to effortlessly breeze past opposition defenders. Henry was also a very good dribbler, which meant he was a very dangerous player for opposing teams — especially when Arsenal was counterattacking or breaking from deep.
An analysis of the Frenchman’s game also shows that it was not just his physical abilities which made him so successful. Henry was an intelligent player who knew when to pass, when to shoot and when to take a player on.
In addition, he also tended to adopt a wider starting position than traditional centre forwards would use at the time. This enabled him to pick the ball up in space and drive at opposition defences before passing or shooting. Henry was also known for cutting back on his favoured foot when dribbling to maximise any shooting opportunities.
Ian Wright
Ian Wright sits second in the list of all-time Arsenal scorers with 185 goals to his name. Although he shared the knack for goalscoring with Thierry Henry, an analysis of Wright’s game shows a totally different player in many aspects.
While the Frenchman loved being involved in build-up play, Wright was a more traditional frontman. He simply lived for scoring goals and came alive anytime the ball was in the box. It was not poached goals in the six-yard box he grabbed though — Wright was just as adept at shooting from range. This can be seen in the outstanding lob he scored at Swindon or the chipped goal against Everton.
An analysis of this Arsenal icon’s game also has to focus on his lethal finishing and passion for finding the net. He scored in his first game for the club against Leicester in the League Cup for example before getting a hat-trick on his league debut against Southampton.
It is also key to take into account the personality Wright showed when playing the game. This marks him out as different from someone like Henry, who was a much cooler figure when playing. Wright
was a very hard-working player who never stopped making intelligent forward runs for his midfield players.
Cliff Bastin
Although people tend to focus on more recent players when thinking of Arsenal’s goalscoring greats, records show that Cliff Bastin should not be forgotten. He was an integral part of Herbert Chapman’s all-conquering side in the 1930s and finished with 178 goals in 395 matches.
An analysis of Bastin’s game shows that he played as an outside left on Chapman’s side, which is equivalent to a modern winger in today’s game. When you look deeper though, the way Bastin played was refreshingly different than other outside lefts of the time. He was prone to cut in from his position on the flank to get across the opposing fall-back and latch onto through balls from his midfield players.
Another key feature of this legend’s game was his versatility. When Ted Drake signed in 1934, Bastin seamlessly switched roles and became more of a creator for the new centre-forward. This ability to play at a high level in multiple positions not only made him a valuable squad member but also showed the excellent understanding of the game he possessed. Watching Bastin in full flow was truly a thing of beauty and he managed to ally grace, speed and guile with an accurate, hard shot.
John Radford
John Radford is quite a different sort of player to the others on our list, but he proved no less effective. This saw him stay with Arsenal from 1964 to 1976 and notch up 149 goals. If you think back to Arsenal history between 1966 and 1976, this player’s role in the 1970/71 double winning team shows how important he was.
In terms of his own game, Radford was a traditional centre-forward who was very much of his time. This saw him remain central for most of the match and battle it out with the opposing centre backs for the ball. Radford was also known as a very hard-working player who never stopped running.
This ability to occupy defenders was key for opening up space for teammates such as Ray Kennedy and George Graham to exploit. It should also be remembered that this Arsenal legend was a good passer and unselfish.
The 1971 FA Cup win saw him set up both goals which gave his side the victory. As with the other players on our list, Radford knew how to finish and used this instinct to net 21 goals in the double winning season. Radford was also good in the air and adept at getting on the end of crosses — as his impressive headed goal against Anderlecht in the Fairs Cup Final of 1970 showed.
Arsenal all-time top goalscorers analysed
Goals make games and have been key to Arsenal’s success over time. An analysis of the side’s all-time scorers not only illustrates this to be true but also shows what specific parts of their game made them so influential.
