Arsenal: Thierry Henry's Goal and 14 More Memorable Events at Emirates Stadium

Thierry Henry's comeback and winning goal against Leeds last week was one of the greatest moments in the young history of Emirates Stadium.

Since leaving Highbury and moving to the Emirates at the start of the 2006-2007 season, Arsenal's new home has been the scene of many unforgettable matches and special performances. 

Here's a look at just some of the memorable events that have taken place in the first six seasons at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal Defeat Barcelona

Perhaps the greatest victory for Arsenal at their new stadium occurred on February 16th, 2011. 

Unable to secure the top spot in the Champions League group stages, Arsenal were at the mercy of the draw for the round of 16. The Gunners' reward was a meeting with Lionel Messi and Barcelona.

Barcelona had the upper hand in past meetings between the two clubs. In 2010 they faced each other in the quarterfinals with the Catalans' advancing 6-3 on aggregate.

Their most memorable matchup took place in the 2006 Champions League final at Paris' Stade de France. Barcelona were crowned champions that night with a 2-1 comeback victory.

With that in mind, the crowd at the Emirates on this night was electric as Arsenal sought to seek revenge.

Despite a David Villa first half goal, Arsenal were still in the match. Then, late in the game, Robin Van Persie and Andrey Arshavin scored, and Arsenal walked away 2-1 victors.

Unfortunately for the Gunners, Barcelona won the second leg 3-1 and advanced to the next round 4-3 on aggregate. Regardless, Arsenal were the only side to defeat Barcelona throughout the entire 2010-2011 tournament.

Eduardo's Return to Emirates Stadium

It's rare to see the home side's fans give a standing ovation to a goal by an opposing player. However, that is exactly what happened on October 19th, 2010 when Arsenal hosted Shakhtar Donetsk.

On this night, onetime Arsenal player Eduardo da Silva was returning to the Emirates for the first time since signing with the Ukrainian club.

Arsenal were up 3-0 when Eduardo entered the game as a substitute in the 63rd minute. His introduction was met with great enthusiasm.

Then, in the 82nd minute, with Arsenal leading 5-0, Eduardo scored for Shakhtar. The crowd erupted and gave their former striker a standing ovation. Out of respect to his former club, Eduardo refused to celebrate his goal.

Dennis Bergkamp's Testimonial

It's only fitting that the first game ever played at Emirates Stadium was to pay tribute to one of Arsenal's greatest players. On July 22nd, 2006, a sellout crowd was on hand to say farewell to a legend as part of Dennis Bergkamp's Testimonial.

The day featured salutes to Bergkamp and a match between Arsenal and Bergkamp's former Dutch club Ajax.Players past and present turned out for both squads.

Following the match, former Arsenal captains Patrick Vieira and Thierry Henry carried Bergkamp on their shoulders for a lap of honor around the new stadium.

Arsenal's First League Win at Emirates Stadium

The 2006-2007 season ushered in a new era in Arsenal history. Having said goodbye to the friendly confines of Highbury, the team would now be calling Emirates Stadium home.

After drawing in their first two home matches, Arsenal were looking to secure their first League victory at their new grounds. On September 26th, 2006, Arsenal hosted visitors Sheffield United.

Sheffield held Arsenal at bay during the first half, and the anxiety amongst supporters was starting to grow. 

Finally, in the 65th minute, the deadlock was broken. Thierry Henry and Cesc Fabregas were instrumental in the buildup, and William Gallas provided the finishing touches. From there Arsenal took control of the game.

Four minutes later, a Phil Jagielka own goal made it 2-0. Henry added one more in the 80th minute, giving Arsenal their first League win at their new home.

Fabregas' Broken Leg Equalizer Against Barcelona

In February 2010, Arsenal welcomed Barcelona to Emirates Stadium for the first leg of their Champions League Quarterfinals matchup. It would be their first encounter since Arsenal lost 2-1 to Barcelona in the 2006 Final in Paris.

After a scoreless first half, Zlatan Ibrahimovic broke the deadlock in the 46th minute and tallied a second just before the hour mark. It was beginning to look bleak for Arsenal. That was when things turned around.

Theo Walcott was brought on as a substitute in the 66th minute. Two minutes later he scored to give Arsenal a lifeline in the match.

In the 85th minute Carles Puyol saw red for a foul on Cesc Fabregas in the box. The captain stepped to the line and smashed home the equalizer. After scoring, Fabregas was noticeably limping and it was later determined that he had suffered a fractured fibula.

Arsenal went on to lose the second leg, but on this night the team and its captain had demonstrated tremendous resilience.

Arsenal's Late Comeback to Defeat Manchester United

On January 21st, 2007 Arsenal were hosting League leaders and fierce rivals Manchester United at the Emirates. There have been many memorable meetings between the two clubs over the years, and this one would prove to be yet another. 

Following a scoreless first half, Wayne Rooney sent a header into the back of the Arsenal net. Despite many chances, Arsenal were held at bay by a stubborn United defense. 

While goalkeeper Jens Lehman made some outstanding saves to deny United, Arsenal's pressure on the United goal intensified.

In the 83rd minute, a Tomas Rosicky cross was slotted home by Robin Van Persie to tie the score. 

The comeback was completed deep into stoppage time when Thierry Henry headed home the winning goal.

Bendtner and Almunia Help Arsenal Defeat Tottenham

No matter when it occurs, the North London derby is a must win for bragging rights. One of the most exciting encounters between the two clubs took place in December 2007 as Tottenham paid a visit to the Emirates.

Spurs had not beaten Arsenal in over eight years, so history was definitely on the red side of North London.

Following a lively but scoreless first half, Emmanuel Adebayor slid the ball past Spurs keeper Paul Robinson from a Cesc Fabregas back heel.

In the 66th minute, Dimitar Berbatov gave the visitors hope as he evened the match at 1-1.

In the 72nd minute, Kolo Toure conceded a penalty after a foul on Berbatov. The travelling supporters had hope that their losing streak to Arsenal would finally end.  Robbie Keane stepped up to take the penalty and goalkeeper Manuel Almunia guessed right to deny the Tottenham striker.

Nicklas Bendtner came on as a sub late in the game. Within a minute of entering the match, Bendtner headed the ball home from a Cesc Fabregas corner.

It's amazing now to think that Bendtner and Almunia were the stars of the game, but they were, and Arsenal walked away with all three points.

Van Persie and Fabregas Score 11 Seconds Apart as Arsenal Defeat Tottenham

Another memorable North London derby took place at the Emirates on Halloween 2009. On this day Arsenal would get all the treats and Tottenham would be hit by a sucker punch.

A lively first half was winding down towards halftime with neither side getting on the score sheet. Things changed for good in the 43rd minute.  A Bacary Sagna pass found Robin Van Persie, who slotted the ball in to the goal.  The Spurs defense had been caught out.

Following the restart, Van Persie fed the ball to Cesc Fabregas, who fired home Arsenal's second goal in a span of just 11 seconds.

Van Persie scored again on the hour mark, and Arsenal were pretty much home and dry.

From that point on, the home crowd serenaded the travelling fans with a series of oles as Arsenal passed the ball back and forth at will.

Robin Van Persie's First Arsenal Hat Trick

New Arsenal captain Robin Van Persie has been a scoring machine over the past year.  His 35 goals for the 2011 calendar year left him just one shy of Alan Shearer's EPL record of 36.

Van Persie secured his second career hat trick this past October as Arsenal defeated Chelsea 5-3 at Stamford Bridge.

The Dutch striker's first hat trick took place at the Emirates early last year when Arsenal played host to Wigan on January 22nd.  

The Emirates crowd was treated to the sight of a healthy Van Persie singlehandedly defeating Wigan with goals in the 21st, 59th and 85th minutes.

Thomas Vermaelen Scores a Brace

In the summer of 2009, Arsene Wenger signed solid Belgian centre back Thomas Vermaelen from Ajax to replace the departed Kolo Toure.

Vermaelen didn't take long to ingratiate himself with the fans as he scored a header in his Arsenal debut away to Everton. 

He truly announced his arrival one month later when Arsenal hosted Wigan in mid September 2009. Prior to kick-off, Vermaelen received the Player of the Month Award for August, which is voted on monthly by Arsenal fans. He then went out to prove why he would win the same award for September.

Vermaelen headed home the game's first goal from a Van Persie corner in the 25th minute.

His second came just after the restart when he curled a shot from distance in to the top corner of the net.

Goals from Emmanuel Eboue and Fabregas followed as Arsenal walked away 4-0 winners.

Vermaelen had cemented his place in the hearts of Arsenal fans, and his nickname "The Verminator" was born.

Arsenal Secure Their Place in Their Second Champions League Semi-Final

When Arsenal met Barcelona in the 2006 Champions League Final, it was the first time the club had progressed that far in the tournament. That year the Gunners defeated Villarreal 1-0 on aggregate in the semifinals.

On April 15th, 2009, Arsenal were again meeting Villarreal in the knockout stages of the tournament. On this night, it was the second leg of the quarterfinals with the winner heading on to the semifinal round. The first leg in Spain had ended 1-1 with Arsenal holding the edge on away goals.

It didn't take Arsenal long to calm the fans' nerves as Theo Walcott scored in the 10th minute to give the Gunners a commanding lead.

Emmaneul Adebayor scored in the 60th minute, and Robin Van Persie drove home a penalty kick in the 69th minute to finish off Villarreal.

Arsenal were headed to their second Champions League semifinal in team history.

Van Persie Scores Twice to Defeat Borussia Dortmund as Arsenal Win Group F

Under Arsene Wenger, Arsenal have been regular participants in the UEFA Champions League Tournament. On November 23rd, 2011, the Gunners secured their place in the knockout stages of the competition for the 12th straight season.

Heading into Match Day 5, Arsenal needed a victory to secure the top spot in Group F and guarantee their progression to the next round of the tournament. Arsenal were hosting Borussia Dortmund, who had held the Gunners to a 1-1 draw on Match Day 1 in Germany.

After a scoreless first half, Arsenal's breakthrough came in the 49th minute. Alex Song dribbled past his marker and through two Dortmund defenders to perfectly place the ball in the path of Robin Van Persie. The striker coolly slipped the ball past the keeper.

Van Persie then put the match to bed in the 86th minute.

Dortmund striker Shinji Kagawa scored a consolation goal in stoppage time, but the 2-1 win meant Arsenal finished top of the group.

Next up was a meeting with AC Milan in the Round of 16.

Arsenal Celebrate the Club's 125th Anniversary with a Victory

Arsenal celebrated the club's 125th anniversary with a weekend of tributes just last month.

On Friday December 9th, the club unveiled statues of Arsenal legends Herbert Chapman, Tony Adams and Thierry Henry outside of the stadium.

The next day featured ceremonies prior to kick-off between Arsenal and Everton. Past players including Charlie George, Ian Wright, George Graham and Robert Pires were on hand for the party.

Robin Van Persie then went out and made sure that the day finished on a high note. In the 70th minute of a scoreless match, Van Persie drove the ball into the back of the net, and the defense held off Everton to complete a 1-0 victory.

Gallas Scores a Late Equalizer Against Manchester United

Arsenal were top of the table and undefeated when they welcomed Manchester United to Emirates Stadium on November 3rd, 2007.

A William Gallas own goal just before the break put the Gunners in a hole.

Cesc Fabregas got one back for the home side minutes after the restart as Bacary Sagna found the midfielder open.

With seven minutes remaining in the contest, Cristiano Ronaldo scored what looked like the winning goal.

With time running out, Gallas atoned for his earlier own goal by sending a shot past Edwin van de Sar that crossed the line before the keeper could bat the ball away.

The match ended 2-2, and Arsenal set a new club record of 25 straight games without a defeat from all competitions. They also remained at the top of the table.

There have been plenty of other memorable moments at Arsenal's new home. Feel free to add some that I may have missed—and let's hope there are many more to come.