2. Thierry Henry
(France. 1999 - 2007. 377 Appearances, 228 Goals.)
Thierry Henry was signed from Italian giants Juventus in 1999, arriving in North London as an inconsistent left winger, a transfer that generated little excitement amongst the Arsenal fans. How that attitude changed over the years, for Henry transformed into the most lethal striker on the planet during his time at Arsenal. Originally replacing the recently departed Nicholas Anelka, Henry took time to settle in and produced a string of lack lustre performances in his early days, but when he found his feet, there was no looking back. In his nine years at Arsenal, he practically made the English game his own, amazing fans with his exceptional talent, lightning speed, outstanding skill and technique combined with his strength and leadership quality. Scoring goals for fun and also leading the charts in assists, to put it mildly, Henry was a man enjoying his football. Many great goals spring to mind - the curling free-kick against Roma, his winner at the Bernabeu against Real Madrid, the sheer beauty of the volley against Manchester United, the back-heel against Charlton Athletic- at his best, Thierry was simply unstoppable. He received the captains armband in 2005 after Vieira's departure, captaining the team during Arsenal's final season at Highbury. He became the clubs all time top scorer, eclipsing Ian Wright's record with two goals against Sparta Prague in 2005. He won two league titles and three FA Cups with Arsenal, also captaining the team to the Champions League final in 2006. After an emotional farewell, he joined Barcelona in 2007, going on to finally win the elusive European Title and gaining more medals to add to his collection, before signing for MLS side New York Red Bulls. Henry had a second spell at Arsenal in January 2012, joining from the Red Bulls on a two month lone deal. He made a magical return, scoring the winner on his 'second debut' for the Gunners in a home match against Leeds United in the FA Cup. He also netted a last minute winner at Sunderland in the league, a win that turned out to be crucial to Arsenal's quest to finish third. With rumours of a possible third spell at the club in early 2013, Thierry could add even more goals to his impressive record.