What is Thierry Henry's most ICONIC goal? The Arsenal legend reveals all!

Hello. Henri, breathtaking. Oh, what a goal! Who did that? I was there. Genius at work, his name is Thierry Henry. That should have been the final. That's two of my favourite goals they're already missing in the quarter. It's another one to put in the astonishing Thierry Henry goals. Thierry Henry, arguably the greatest player to ever grace the Premier League. Welcome to Ultimates. How are you doing, my friend? I don't know about what you said, but thank you. Eight years at Arsenal, two spells in the Premier League, two league titles, an invincible season, a gold Premier League trophy, 175 goals. What does it mean to you to have this iconic, legendary status in the Premier League? First and foremost, you need to be in a situation to play for a good team to be able to do that. Without my team, I wouldn't have been able to do that. It's a great feeling. I always say, obviously we're going to talk about my goals, as I can see here, but I like my assists too. It was something that was very important for me. Being able to make people understand that a striker should do more than score goals was very important for me. We've whittled it down to eight of your best and most memorable goals, and it's your job to choose yours. But it's your job to choose your one ultimate Premier League goal. I hope it's in there somewhere. So who did that? That should have been the final. That's two of my favourite goals, they're already meeting in the quarters. Hello. We'll start up here, and this is going to be your first and last goal in the Premier League. Starting with your first ever Premier League goal for Arsenal, and that was against Southampton in 1999. How much did it mean to you to kick off your first year at Arsenal like this? A lot, because people were waiting for that. Nicolas left, I'm French, we played together, so people were saying, is he the new Anelka? As you can imagine, he just left, so people were wondering what I was, who I was, and what I was going to do. So it's always great to start with that, and winning at the Dell wasn't easy at the time. People won't remember that. That place was not an easy place to go and win, and so we won one-nil on the day, and that's where it all started. But it was just a massive relief, if I can say. And that goal goes up against your last goal. This is your return, your famous return for half a season, and that was against Sunderland. This one is special, why? Because I never had a chance to say bye to the Arsenal fan. And so, I knew I was leaving there. Everyone knew I was leaving, and scoring on my last ever game for Arsenal. In the league, obviously, because there was another one after, but in the league, being able to say bye to the fans, they knew I was leaving, I knew I was leaving, and I could say bye. And by the way, that won us the game, and put us in the top four position that day, and we never left that position. It was special. Sunderland will win that. Now, this is going to be difficult. You've talked to it before. We've got two incredible solo-run goals, two iconic Premier League goals. The first one, April 2004, against Liverpool. Sidestepping one, sidestepping two, that is... There's a lot of memories there coming in my head. You two went down a lot of times. Arsenal's unbeaten Premiership record this season, under real threat from Liverpool today. So you're like, are we going to blow it? And then, yeah, I made it 3-2. And that goal is special, because you know when the stadium wasn't breathing? Nobody was. Don't ask me what I was doing there, by the way, but I was there. When Gilberto gave me that ball, there was only one thing in my mind, and it was go to goal. And I had that in my mind a lot of times in games, and it didn't always happen, obviously. But it happened that day, and everything worked out on how I planned it, when I saw the situation, looking at them defending. Carragher in particular, here you go. Yeah, but no, it's Didier Amann first, and then obviously Carragher. I had to make them believe I was going to curve it. People knew I liked to curve balls from outside of the box. So I dummied them, I went inside, and yeah, you know, that explosion of being ahead, and we went on to win the game. But that feeling was special. Amazing. Amazing release of energy there, I remember. And that goes up against your solo run again. People will never forget this, against Spurs in 2002. Thierry Henry didn't have much trouble bringing that under control. Oh, he's going it alone at the moment. There was just no stopping him. Trust Thierry Henry to have a say on derby day. Slightly longer run for this one. Equally as iconic, yes. It's different because the Liverpool goal I actually dribble past people. I really dribble past people. So this one is a run, Farrington is behind me, I make sure that we're man, I let him, you know, see you later. But then what was good afterwards, I think it's Ledley-King and Carr that I make them believe I'm going to go, that's them finishing with my left. So while I'm, I think I'm dummying King and Carr, I can see Denis coming. But in my mind, I'm already stepping to finishing with my left. All I'm thinking is if I don't score there, he's going to kill me. But then I did score, and it's against Tottenham. And then, you know, people always remember that I ran back the whole way to celebrate in front of them. Yeah, it's a tough one. Oh, you're planning ahead as well, OK. No, but that would have been my final. That's personal. OK, the rivalry with Spurs, that had a personal element to it. That's personal. OK. But there we're going for the title, let's say, and beat them. That's it. Something that they don't know, by the way, Spurs. I love this like my job, sir. So I will go with Liverpool because the meaning of what it meant for everybody, and I know for the Arsenal fans it meant a lot, and for me also. That's my favourite picture, by the way. The goal and what it did represent on the day for the big picture. Yeah, yeah. The Liverpool goal will go through. Moving on to the other side, we now have two screamers. I'm sure you remember this one against Man City, the absolute laser beam into the corner. Henry bends it. Oh! What a goal! Absolute screamer. Put that straight into the contention for goal of the season. The Man City one, rainy day, and the camera also is well placed. When you see the goal... Yeah, it's right behind it. Yeah, that's exactly where I wanted it to go, and that's where it went. And I'm going to straight away move on to the 2000, the other one, the other rocket, however you want to call it. It's kind of weird. You know when you go footable, and I didn't mean to make a turn. Okay, you just wanted to hit it clean. And then he went, and then you can see at the beginning, I think it's Carroll, right? Yeah. He sees it coming one way, and then by the time he goes back the other way, it's dead, but I didn't do that on purpose to make the ball go that way. And it was a short backlift, I remember. Yeah, I had to hit it like this, but I wanted to hit it there across. Okay. But sometimes when you hit it like that, it makes the ball turn. Yeah, yeah. And so this is why I will give the Man City one the nod, because where I wanted it to go right from the start, and where he went, that's exactly what happened. Okay. You're going to see goals sometimes where strikers will not be honest with you. And they'll be like, oh, yeah, yeah. It's like a bicycle kick. Yeah. Sometimes people shin it, and they go like, oh, I meant it. You're a liar. You didn't. You connected with the ball, and then he went. Yeah. Same here. Someone was coming, I controlled it against Magnoleta, then I unleashed it, and I wanted it to go that way, but then he turned. That's why Carroll went one step, the power that I put there, the power wasn't a joke, that's for sure. But it turned. I never meant for the ball to turn, so I'm being honest. Okay. Man City won. Yeah. Even the ball didn't turn. The ball just goes. When you see the ball is not turning, that's a proper hit. Yeah, yeah. That's a proper hit. I love that. Okay, so you're going to actually go Man City? Yeah, City. Okay. Don't blame you. Right. We've got two incredible long-range efforts. You know what? That's a tough one also. That's a tough match-up. It is. That's a tough match-up. I'll explain to you why. I'm going to start with West Ham. Okay. So first and foremost, we were losing. We were 2-0 down, I think I scored a 2-1. People don't realise how hard it is to make that ball go up the head of Christian Daley when I control it with my left foot. Yeah. It's hard. Yeah. But to be able after that, Nigel Winterburn was coming back, I'm falling. Because normally when you fall, to keep the ball to a certain level, because normally you cover the ball, you need to be on top of the ball to make sure that it doesn't go up. But I'm falling. Yeah. When I volley it after the ball hit the ground. To keep it on target with that power, after putting the ball obviously over the head with my left foot on the first touch on the pass of Patrick, straight away. That's not easy. At all. But then if you compare it to the Man United one, if one goal can beat that goal, it's that goal. That's why we put them together. It's that goal, because Man United goal was, it's just, that's typical of what I used to like to do. With my friend, if I shield that ball, there's no way you can see it. And that's what I used to like to do, come, make sure I put my big friend in front of you, put my hand on you, and if you see the defender behind me, he's trying to see what the ball is. By the time he's trying to see what the ball is, the ball is already up. And at that moment, when I flicked it up, I couldn't hit it hard. Because if I hit it hard, that ball would have gone to the car park. Yeah. At Highbury. And so I'm like, I need to just guide it. And I saw where Fabian was, so I said, I just need to guide it, and trust the flight of the ball. Yeah. And it went in. It's an iconic goal, but don't sleep on the West Ham one. I never, hey, don't say that to me, I never sleep on the West Ham one. That's a West Ham goal, in terms of technique. Because the difference where, I still give the nod to United, but the difference with the West Ham goal is, the United one, ball is coming, and I'm standing still. So it's easier, in the bracket, to be able to execute something. Yeah. There I'm running, I'm running towards the ball, against the ball, I'm going to the ball to keep that stuff. For everything else? I'll go with United. You're going United, okay. First semi-final, your Sunderland goal, against your iconic Liverpool goal. Liverpool. Liverpool, easy choice. You explained it before as well, so. Yeah, we already went to the explanation, but Liverpool for sure. Sidestepping one, sidestepping two, that is brilliant. We've got two absolute screamers, your Thunbolt against City, and then your iconic lob. United. This is some final, I don't know how you're going to choose between these two, we've got your Sunderland against. Oh yeah? Yeah, I told you that should have been the final. Okay. Liverpool. So Thierry Henry, your ultimate Premier League goal, is your incredible solo run against Liverpool. Because of, like I said to you, because of what it meant on the day. If you ask me, if it's a personal, personal, personal one, but you can't put the team before you, so what it meant to the team at that time, and what it did represent after. That goal, Premier League trophy. Liverpool. Yeah, perfect. Okay, well Thierry, if you could sign to give your seal of approval, so then they know it wasn't me, he just did this. Yeah, but I didn't pick the goals. I know, but okay, next time we'll put those two in the final, if you do it again. Amazing. Thierry, thank you so much. You're my hero, it's been an absolute honour having you on. I appreciate it, man. Thank you. Thank you so much, Thierry.