Arsenal’s goal of the decade
YOU may have noticed the official Arsenal web site are running a goal of the decade vote. After Ashley Cole came in at number 25 in their greatest ever Arsenal player poll, with Marc Overmars at 12 and Kanu at 13, I’m a little loath to trust the judgment of Arsenal.com readers.
So, on the premise that my readers are a sensible lot, I’m basically going to shamelessly rip off the idea and run my own goal of the decade competition.
To start with, I’m looking for nominations. Then I’ll draw up a shortlist based on all sensible nominations and open the voting.
When I look at a goal, I look at three factors. The first is simply the quality of the goal. I give that 60% weighting. The second is the occasion – was it a crucial goal in a crucial game? That aspect is worth another 25%. And finally, for the last 15%, I look at who has done it. Did it represent the pinnacle of a scorer’s brilliance or merely a fantastic one-off?
By that I’m not saying that defenders can’t score genuinely great goals, but just as we view an artist’s greatest piece in light of their other work, I think the same should be true of footballers. Does that make sense?
So, for now, feel free to mention as many as you think worthy of mention in the comments section below. Unobvious suggestions welcome…
Just off the top of my head….
Bergkamp against Newcastle
Pires against Spurs in the 2001 FA Cup Semi
Pires against Southampton
Ljungberg in the 02 Cup Final against Chelsea
van Persie against Charlton
van Persie against Man U – first year @ Grove
Arshavin against Man U earlier this year
Arshavin against Liverpool just this past week
Reyes against Chelsea in the Cup – his first appearance?
B
continued…
Cesc away against Spurs a few seasons back
Cesc away against Milan
and to name just a handful of Henrys…
The looper against Man U over Barthez’s head
Against Liverpool in 2004
At home against Spurs in 2004
At home against Spurs in 2006
Away at Madrid 2006
kanu v middlesbourgh
best arsenal goal i have seen was bergkamp v newcastle, theres loads of great goals, limpar corner against man united, or from the halfway line against liverpool, or pires lobbing schmichael against aston villa after turning the defender inside out,and many goals by henry…… greatest arsenal goal was mickey thomas at anfield!
Henry’s SECOND goal against Liverpool in our unbeaten season.
Bergkamp against Newcastle
then
At home against Spurs in 2004
As a man u fan this hurts to say but … henry lobbing barthez… possibly ur greatest player ever … in the most hyped game of the year … in the middle of man u versus arsenal decade of duelling … the man is magic … its easier to admit now that hes gone … anyway ….has to be that one
I am loathe to say this, but Adebayor v Sp*rs two seasons ago.
Fabregas’ solo goal of a few weeks ago has to be up there too – “one of the great solo goals in Premier League history” was what the commentator described it as.
Possibly include RVP’s last minute equaliser v Everton last season.
RVP v Blackburn when he cut in from the right hand side and curled in a beauty off the post – this was a few seasons ago at Highbury.
Oh and Cesc away to Milan has to be up there.
Continued from Mike’s posts: -
Overmars at old trafford
Wiltord at old trafford
Parlour in FA Cup final v. Chelsea
But my favourite would be Henry’s v. Liverpool at highbury.
Why?
Well, we just went out of the champions league, I think also the FA Cup. The league was a priority. We were losing and it was looking like a disasterous week in which we would lose our hold on the league title.. but up steps Thierry, who dances through the liverpool midfield and defence and scores one of the best goals Highbury has ever seen.
His/Highbry’s celebration i think told the story of what that goal meant.
oh goal of the decade, i went back too far, well this one is easy its ray parlour v chelsea in the f.a cup final
In the first paragraph you mean “loath”, not “loathe”.
Loathe means hate. Loath means reluctant.
Hence “I’m loath to trust the judgement of arsenal.com readers” = “I’m reluctant to trust the judgement of arsenal.com readers”.
I vote Dennis at Newcastle, btw, with Henry against the scum a close second (in the 3-0 at home).
Henry’s against Spurs at Highbury 2002.
I always loved Henry v Tottenham, but that Henry goal versus Man Utd was such a thing of beauty – a simple kind of beauty.
Throw Henry v West Ham into the mix too. Wow.
To harp on your point re the Arsenal.com weighting, the Arshavin v Blackburn goal is being heavily overrated.
Thanks Julian H for pointing out the stray e. But what about your top goals?
Also Adebayor v Villareal away in the champions league last season.
@erichero – totally agree re Arshavin goal. Not even his best goal for us.
And the answer is…… Begkamp Vs Newcastle 2002.
Arsenal.com forgot they have already run this competion
http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/ggg1-bergkamp-v-newcastle-united-2002
Always a pleasure.
I’d say, off the top of my head:
1. Bergkamp @ St James’s Park
2. Henry v the scum @ home (3-0)
3. Henry v Liverpool @ home (4-2, 2004)
4. Arshavin v Liverpool away (4-4)
I also have a thing about Henry v West Ham (a).
I know this won’t get serious consideration, but one of my favorite goals is Van Persie’s in the Emirates Cup a few years back against Inter. (I think it was Inter). Just a rising smash with his “chocolate leg” into the roof of the net .
@JulianH – yes, yes, yes re Henry away. Such a ridiculously underrated goal.
A list I did for when Wenger reached 13 years:
Thierry Henry vs Man Utd 30/09/00.
Dennis Bergkamp vs Newcastle 02/03/02.
Robert Pires vs Southampton 07/05/03.
Ray Parlour vs Chelsea 04/05/02.
Robert Pires vs Aston Villa 17/03/02.
Freddie Ljungberg vs Juventus 04/12/01.
Eduardo vs Burnley 08/03/09.
Thierry Henry vs Spurs 16/11/02.
Robin Van Persie vs Charlton 30/09/06.
Ray Parlour vs Valencia 04/04/01.
Emmanuel Adebayor vs Villarreal 07/04/09.
Thierry Henry vs Liverpool 09/04/04
That doesn’t even include Pires vs Liverpool, Henry vs Inter, Fabregas vs Spurs, Henry vs Real Madrid & Henry vs Charlton.
Links in this post if you fancy wiling away an afternoon watching some great goals:
http://thesportboys.wordpress.com/2009/10/28/bon-anniversaire-arsene-wenger-several-days-late
I actually can’t find the link to the official poll. Am I discounting the Goodplaya post if I ask someone to post the link so we run a comparison?
Btw, while Ad*bay*r’s against the scum and Villareal are indeed impressive, I’d vote to exclude him from the entire competition on the basis of maintaining public decency.
Dennis Bergkamp’s goal against Newcastle United isnt just the best Arsenal goal I’v seen but also persoally, my best goal ever by any player. The intelligence with which he pulled it off is simply unrivaled & whats more, he knew exactly what he waz doing- its a goal worthy of winning any football game on any planet!
Ted Drakes fifth against Villa when he broke the record, which still stands today, when he scored all seven. It was 1930 something and there ain’t no film of it.
Just to show that this is a very difficult exercise that you, and dot.com, are attempting.
Good luck though and I look forward to your next natter on The Arsecast.
Bren
Agree with so many mentioned but for the significance of the goal, the stage the team and what it gave belief to acheive was….
Henry at Real Madrid
Being there helped of course
(but other personal favourites are DB10 v NUFC and Henry V Pool)
Henry against Leeds United
Rvp against Chalrton
Diaby against Derby
Arshavin against Liverpool
Dennis against Newcastle
Kanu against Chelsea ( third goal )
To many to remember
It seems as though a lot of people are forgetting the van persie rocket against charlton, i would say it is that or the magical bergkamp goal against newcastle, one of the dutch maestros
Nasri’s goal against Man U last year after 37 passes from the corner without a Man U player touching the ball. Also the one Henry scored against Charlton at Highbury 5 or 6 years ago was a bit special.
Bergkamp Vs Newcastle!
Henry Vs Man u (chip and volley)
Bergkamp Vs Leicester (Hat Trick – 60 yard pass and finish)
henry Vs Real Madrid
Eduardo Vs Burnley
Adebayor Vs Villareal
Adams Vs Everton (1998)
I’d also say
1) RVP against Charlton
2) Bergkamp against Newcastle
3) Henry’s lob against ManU
Hasn’t anyone singled out Arshavin’s effort on Sunday? I’d put that in my top 10.
Guys, remember Vieira came up with some massive goals for Arsenal. His goal against Liverpool (ok, we lost 2-1 but still) was sublime. Pay your respects to Captain Immense at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a26mScdqrhs
i miss henry :(
….we all do
Cesc against Rosenborg was pretty spectacular and precocious – I think his first CL goal?
Henry 2nd Vs Liverpool @ Highbury in 2004
This is just simply no better goal than Dennis Bergkamp’s goal vs Newcastle in 2002.
Some of the best:
Bergkamp v Newcastle
Henry v Man Utd
RVP v Charlton
Adebayor v Spurs
Pires v Liverpool (Invincibles season)
Pires v Aston Villa
Cesc v AC Milan
Henry v Inter
Flamini v Newcastle
Adebayor v Liverpool (Walcott’s run)
Arshavin’s 4th v Liverpool
Arshavin’s Sunday goal v Liverpool
Henry vs Spurs in 2002
Bergkamp vs Mallorca 2001 (the header to go 2-0 up)
Henry vs Man City 2004 (Reyes’ debut)
Bergkamp vs Bayer Leverkusen 2002
Pires vs. Villa 2002
Ljungberg vs Chelsea FA Cup final 2002
Eduardo vs Burnley 2008
Vieira vs Spurs 2004 (WHL)
That’ll do for now!
Tony Adams goal in the Championship clinching game of the 1997-1998 premiership winning campaign against Everton, a thing of beauty a center half assisted by a center half.
Its got all three criteria sewn up….
Adams v Everton 97/98
Loved Bergy v Newcassle
Too many Henry goals to choose
Any Pires goal….
Dennis vs Newcastle. Has to be. Has to. Henry over Barthez is close. Henry vs Spurs after skinning the whole team too. Vieira vs Chelsea after Dennis carved them open on our way to going the season unbeaten is up there. Henry vs Real Madrid….what a moment. Freddie in the FA Cup. In terms of significance, how great was Wiltord at OT?
Adams wasnt in this decade you morons!
Well said Mr.Singh.
Defeat to liverpool then would have been catostrophic esp after loosing in the Fa and Champs league.
Along with Michael thoma’s winner vs liverpool.
ITS SAYS GOAL OF THE DECADE NOT BEST GOAL.
Too many of those from arsenal to choose frm
Bergkamp against Newcastle in 2002
nasri’s first one of a double against man u at emirates last season i think from outside the box
how about henry in champions leauge semis or quater final straight from half time kick off and went solo
RVP volley vs Charlton
Bergkamp vs Newcastle
Henry vs West Ham
Vieria vs L’pool at Anfield. Love this goal, we were shocking all game, neat little move, chance, goal. Still lost!
Bergkamp v Newcastle. Best Premier league goal of the decade let alone Arsenal.
Why are people voting for goals from previous decades. im confused. if it’s greatest goal of this decade then i suppose its got to be from our greatest ever player D.B. v newcastle in 02. Even tho at 1st look it doesnt look as explosive as an henry special,but when its slowed down ,you see the magic sparkling from his feet. Legend! If its of all time then it has to be mickey thomas for the importance and timing and everything that went with that goal,the biggest moment in league football ever!
my top 20 goals of the naughty’s
20. R.V.P v blackburn 05/06 H
19. D.B v leverkusen 01/02 H
18. adebayor(SLAG) v spurs(SLAGS)07/08 A
17. PIRES v lpool 03/04 A
16. ARSHAVIN v blackburn 08/09 H
15. HENRY v west ham 02/03 A
14 cole (SLUT) V VILLA 04/05 A
13 HENRY v s prague 05/06 A
12 PARLOUR v chelski 01/02 cardiff
11. EDUARDO v burnley 08/09 H
10. HENRY v mancity 03/04 H
9 . ARSHAVIN v livpool 08/09 A
8. CESC v yids 09/10 H (WHAT A BUZZ)
7. HENRY v real madrid 05/06 A
6. REYES v chelski 03/04 H
5. HENRY v livpool 03/04 H
4. R.V.P v charlton 06/07 A
3. HENRY v yids 02/03 H
2. HENRY v man utd 00/01 H
1. BERGKAMP v newcastle 01/02 A
Freddies winner against Liverpool at Anfield after Pires held off Gerrard; two great runs by a ten man team.
A not so obvious choice:
RvP vs Southampton 2-2 on 30 Oct 04 in the 90th minute. This was the match right after Arsenal had their unbeaten run snapped and when Delap scored 2 goals in 5 minutes to give Southampton an unlikely lead, I remember feeling really miserable. Then RvP curled in a beautiful shot into the top corner to level matters and it felt good haha.
About the own goal comp:
Edu against Blackburn at Highbury… Oct 2002; the match was crucial as we were looking to bounce back from a 1 – 2 defeat at Everton to R**ney’s goal, and another in champions League, to Auxerre.
The touch was deft, and the finish exquisite.
Diaby’s against Man U this season does however fit the criteria as well.
* Was a good goal.
* A crucial match.
* And not known as a finisher (although we’ve seen good finishes from him)…this was a good finish, given his propensity to miss easy targets at the right end – once from 3 yards.
Ooops… thought it was an own goal competition… tendency to overthink things is not a good thing… sawvy!
Fabregas dribbling through the entire Spuds team as they lose possession from the kick off was very satisfying this year. Bergkamp’s goal vs Newcastle was just special. RVP’s volley vs Charlton in 2006 was sensational.
Vieira vs Everton (7-0)
Cesc vs Slavia (7-0)
Edu vs Inter (5-1)
Henry’s turn and volley against Man Utd in Highbury leaving Bartez with no hope.
Class goal, important game and an Arsenal legend (pity about his handball recently)
Not the goal of the decade, but seems like one people are prone to forget – Kanu versus Deportivo La Coruna. That was a hilarious goal to watch.
For me, it has to be Henry v Spurs at home where he ran the length of the pitch… (and again to celebrate!)
He himself says he has a picture of him on his knees with the baiting spurs fans in the background… On a season review, he talked of loving the hatred he could see on their faces after he had ran 70 yards and finished with such aplomb…
And remember – he never lost to sp**s
Henry v. Real Madrid.
Cesc away to Milan. Just so perfect that he just twatted it after an immaculate game playing perfect probing passes, and watching his celebration and run over to Arsene still makes me go all funny.
I always loved Freddie’s lobbed finish against Juve in 2001 – of course the goal was all about Bergkamp’s genius.
2 from Reyes. The first against chelsea in the FA cup at highbury, what an introduction! and the fourth against boro when we were losing 3-1 at half time “here they come again” the commentator said as the cameras tried to catch up. For me two very special goals
Cheekiest goal – Henry backheel v Charlton
Thierry Henry v Real Madrid at the Bernabeu
suggestion to Goodplaya: I would love it if the poll had an option of a top 3 goals, where the first ranked gets 3 points, the second 2 and the third ranked gets one point. Or even top 5
I suggest this because I had so much trouble on the .com poll (honestly I was in physical pain) trying to name just one on the list.
P.S my top 3 would be
1. RVP against Charlton. what beauty! power, skill and he was flying. a pure Michael Jordan moment)
2. TH against West Ham (you have to remember the tension of the game to really rate that goal, West Ham had us in the pocket all game and the way Thierry turned it literally out of nowhere with so much skill, my …I was screaming)
3. DB against Newcastle (for all the obvious reasons)
5.
Cold rainy night midweek game away to blackburn. Down to 10 men. Cesc slips ball to Henry comming in from the left. Trademark Henry curler over brad friedel. Classic..flamini belter at newcastle
Blimey, a lot of nominations. I’m going to turn them into a shortlist of sorts…
@kidk – there will hopefully be some kind of option like that.
I cant have cole and adebayor in my top 20. its not sitting right with me. Change cole for 14 .SILVINHO 00/01 A
Change adebayor for any body else than that prick, hate him more than cole!
fuck arsene asshole for playing his favorite shit, ramsey the shit in the burnley game… substituting fabregas
what the fuck, bloody stupid arsene youth policy, flying private jet to capture a piece of shit!
Ten great goals yet to be nominated:
Patrick Vieira vs Spurs away, 25 April 2004.
Thierry Henry vs Bayern home, 9 March 2005.
Henry vs Inter away, 25 November 2003.
Thomas Vermaelen vs Blackburn home, 4 October 2009.
Henry (2nd goal) vs Aston Villa, 1 April 2006.
Sol Campbell vs Portsmouth away, 19 December 2005.
Henry vs Man Utd home, 28 March 2004.
David Bentley vs Middlesbrough, 24 January 2004.
Henry vs Chelsea home, 12 December 2004.
Tomas Rosicky vs Hamburg away, 13 September 2006.
Expanding on JoeB’s nomination above, this is why I think Cesc vs The Scum at the Emirates this season deserves a place in the Top 10, based on Playa’s 3 criteria:
- Any goal which involves running from the half-way line past several tackles is high quality, but in addition, the ball control and finish were sublime;
- The reason it was crucially significant, especially in the context of goals of the decade, is that it meant we’d gone the full 10 years without losing to Spurs in the league – a magnificent achievement and this was the goal that sealed it. Of course, it might go on to have a crucial significance in keeping us in the Top 4 or even challenging for the title, but that’s too early to say.
- And as for Cesc, while he’s scored other great and significant goals, to win the derby for his team at home, as captain, in those delirious circumstances, and celebrate wildly with the fans afterwards means I think this goal will be remembered more than any other he scores, at least alongside the one against Milan.
- So there you have it: one of our top players of the decade scores the goal which clinched one of the biggest achievements of the decade, and it was a run from the half-way line no less which caused absolute pandemonium in the Emirates! What’s not to like?
pires at southhampton
kanu’s third at stamford bridge
Freddie in FA cup final
ray parlor in FA cup final
fabregas at the san siro
theo’s run..adebayor’s goal at anfield
van persie in highbury’s final year vs blackburn (maybe my fav)
van persie vs charlton
these are the non obvious ones i can think of. I wanted to add one more but can’t think of the team they played. It was an Henry goal, in the 05/06 season. They were away somewhere in their yellow kits. Henry, as a lone striker, basically went on a one man counter attack down the left side, when eventually only Cesc came to support him. Henry played a one two with Cesc about ten yards beyond the left corner of the box, in which Cesc slowly rolled the ball back to Henry’s path, and Henry bent in to the far post upper 90 first time. Does anyone remember this goal or tell me who this was against? I just thought it epitomized the best of both of these players and their role to the team at that time.
Hey, Goodplaya, what about Arshavin’s winner at the start of the week?
Hmm what about Adebayor’s goal at Villareal? Doubt either will win but brilliant goals nonetheless.
@76 – I think that was away to Bolton…or was it Blackburn.
It was Blackburn. Shortlist coming soon.