The Gunners, as the fans of this esteemed football club fondly call them, have a very long and impressive history. Established in 1922, Arsenal has made a name for itself as one of the most successful clubs in football history. Even today, their pedigree speaks for them, as seen in the odds assigned to them on the Bovada sportsbook website.
But the club did not do this without the help of certain goal-scoring legends. This is what we shall discuss in this article: the highest goalscorers that Arsenal has produced in its history.
Thierry Henry (228 Goals)
Thierry Henry of France’s heritage shows up as Arsenal’s highest goalscorer of all time, and this is his heritage. His unique talent, speed, and shot power transformed Arsenal into a great powerhouse.
During his time with Arsenal, his primary position was center forward. And while he scored 228 goals at this, he also provided 85 assists, which implied he played a key role in 313 goals for Arsenal. It is thus safe to say that Thierry Henry left an indelible mark as Arsenal’s greatest legend.
Ian Wright (185 Goals)
Ian Wright joined Arsenal at 28, but this did not stop him from becoming a legend at the club. In a total of 288 match appearances, he scored an impressive 185 goals. He was well-renowned for his goal-scoring and explosive play prowess.
He rarely lost possession to opponents and his ball handling made him a dominant force. To further complement his talent, Arsenal signed Dennis Bergkamp, which propelled Wright to be the club’s all-time scorer. Although he played only 7 seasons with the Gunners, he left a long-lasting handprint on the club and its fans.
Cliff Bastin (178 Goals)
Cliff Bastin was born near Exeter and he began his football career with the local club there. While he played for Exeter City, he had only played 17 games when Arsenal recognized his potential and signed him for £2000.
His entire career was with Arsenal where he had a total of 396 appearances and scored 178 goals. This record made him Arsenal’s highest goal scorer until 1997, when Ian Wright overtook him. But even at that, Bastin’s career was a very impressive one, considering he played not as a center forward but as a winger.
John Radford (149 Goals)
Born in Hemsworth, Yorkshire, to a butcher, John Radford did not allow that to hold him down despite his background. Instead, he carved his name in the history of Arsenal as the fourth-highest scorer.
In 1962, he began as an apprentice in the club and moved on to become a professional footballer in February 1964. Besides being the fourth-highest scorer, he became the club’s youngest to score a hat-trick at 17 years. After this, he became a regular on the first team, scoring 19 goals total in two successive seasons.
Jimmy Brain (139 Goals)
Jimmy Brain comes in as Arsenal’s fifth-highest scorer after scoring 139 goals in his eight years of playing for Arsenal. Four out of these eight career seasons, he spent leading Arsenal in goals from 1924/25 to 1928/29.
But in all of this, he stood out when he scored a tally of 39 goals, including four hat-tricks. This record was second only to Ted Drake’s 45 goals.
Ted Drake (139 Goals)
Ted Drake’s career as an Arsenal striker began from 1934 to 1945, but he started playing professional football in 1931. In March 1934, Arsenal signed him for £6,500, and he scored his first goal against Wolves in his debut season. The club won the English Championship in that season, although Drake did not get a medal.
However, the following season, he made up for it by scoring an excellent 42 goals in 41 league games, making it possible for Arsenal to defend their title. In addition, Drake scored two more goals in the FA Cup and the Charity Shield, making 44 goals in a single season.
Doug Lishman (137 Goals)
From the bowels of England came Doug Lishman, the 7th-highest goalscorer for Arsenal. His first-ever appearance at the club came after Lewis got injured while playing against Sheffield United in 1948. In the first season after his debut, he scored 13 goals in 25 matches.
However, for two consecutive seasons in 1949/50 and 1950/51, Doug’s career experienced a setback due to injuries. But this did not stop him from returning as Arsenal’s top scorer in the 1950/51 season. He scored 30 goals the following season and made a record of three hat-tricks in three consecutive home matches.
Robin van Persie (132 Goals)
Robin van Persie, of Netherlands origin, is Arsenal’s eighth-highest scorer and has to be the most unpredictable striker on this list. For eight seasons, Van Persie played for Arsenal and displayed remarkable talent. Throughout his career, he was well-known for his vision, dribbling abilities and versatility.
With 132 goals, he comes in as the 8th most successful goalscorer. He scored very unique screamer goals, but sadly, he never won a Premier League while playing for Arsenal.
Closing Text
Are you looking for the best goal-scorers for the Gunners? Then the above is for you, which displays the top performers in Arsenal’s goal-scoring history.