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Opta Jury: Thierry Henry
By Duncan Alexander - Created on 18 Sep 2006
While there were more than a few pundits who predicted a tricky opening to the season for Arsenal after another summer of departures from the club and the move to their new stadium, Thierry Henry's sluggish start will have surprised almost everyone.
The French superstar, for so long the focal point of the Gunners' attack, has managed only one goal in his first three Premiership appearances of 2006-07, and that solitary effort came from the penalty spot against Middlesbrough.
But if you look at the opening five games of Henry's previous seasons in the Premiership then he has a very impressive record of always having scored at least four goals, other than in his debut campaign.
Henry's first five games of the season Games Goals
1999-00 5 0
2000-01 5 4
2001-02 5 4
2002-03 5 4
2003-04 5 4
2004-05 5 4
2005-06 5 5
2006-07 3 1
Arsenal's performance at Old Trafford at the weekend without Henry laid waste to the notion that they cannot survive without their skipper, and the amount of work that lone striker Emmanuel Adebayor got through in that match was admirable.
Furthermore, cynics point out that Henry's goalscoring has always been based around notching in the familiar surrounds of Highbury and that away from the old stadium he is far less effective. Indeed, 114 of Henry's 165 Premiership goals are now just memories at the club's abandoned home and there has only ever been one Premiership season when Henry has scored as many goals on the road as he has at home.
Year Home Away Home %
1999-00 11 6 65%
2000-01 14 3 82%
2001-02 12 12 50%
2002-03 14 10 58%
2003-04 22 8 73%
2004-05 21 4 84%
2005-06 20 7 74%
2006-07 1 0 100%
Of course Henry has the pedigree to confound his critics in the coming months but perhaps the Frenchman is not as vital to the Gunners' success as some suggest.
By Duncan Alexander - Created on 18 Sep 2006
While there were more than a few pundits who predicted a tricky opening to the season for Arsenal after another summer of departures from the club and the move to their new stadium, Thierry Henry's sluggish start will have surprised almost everyone.
The French superstar, for so long the focal point of the Gunners' attack, has managed only one goal in his first three Premiership appearances of 2006-07, and that solitary effort came from the penalty spot against Middlesbrough.
But if you look at the opening five games of Henry's previous seasons in the Premiership then he has a very impressive record of always having scored at least four goals, other than in his debut campaign.
Henry's first five games of the season Games Goals
1999-00 5 0
2000-01 5 4
2001-02 5 4
2002-03 5 4
2003-04 5 4
2004-05 5 4
2005-06 5 5
2006-07 3 1
Arsenal's performance at Old Trafford at the weekend without Henry laid waste to the notion that they cannot survive without their skipper, and the amount of work that lone striker Emmanuel Adebayor got through in that match was admirable.
Furthermore, cynics point out that Henry's goalscoring has always been based around notching in the familiar surrounds of Highbury and that away from the old stadium he is far less effective. Indeed, 114 of Henry's 165 Premiership goals are now just memories at the club's abandoned home and there has only ever been one Premiership season when Henry has scored as many goals on the road as he has at home.
Year Home Away Home %
1999-00 11 6 65%
2000-01 14 3 82%
2001-02 12 12 50%
2002-03 14 10 58%
2003-04 22 8 73%
2004-05 21 4 84%
2005-06 20 7 74%
2006-07 1 0 100%
Of course Henry has the pedigree to confound his critics in the coming months but perhaps the Frenchman is not as vital to the Gunners' success as some suggest.