20 Most Iconic Arsenal Goals of All Time

Arsenal are a club noted for the titles it has won over the course of its history, for a long list of top-class players who have graced its team-sheets and for being in the top flight of English football for the longest consecutive period of any team in history.

Naturally, along the way, the Gunners have picked up a tremendous amount of silverware in the form of cups, have contested for league championships and have played in big, memorable matches—plenty of which have yielded goals to be passed on and referred to down the years.

They will hope to add another chapter to that list at the weekend in the FA Cup final as they seek to end their barren run without a trophy.

Here are 20 of the most iconic goals scored in Arsenal's history.

Michael Thomas

Kicking off our list is Michael Thomas, scoring a late, late winner at Anfield in 1989.

It wasn't just a late winner for the match; it was the last game of the season—and sealed Arsenal the league title.

They were already 1-0 up, but even that result was enough for Liverpool to win the league. Only a 2-0 win would have done for the Gunners, and Thomas scored the second deep into injury time.

Alan Sunderland

Another of Arsenal's famous late goals is Alan Sunderland scoring in the last minute of the FA Cup final at Wembley.

The Gunners had led 2-0 until the last five minutes, when rivals Manchester United fought back to score twice late on and level the match.

Cue Liam Brady's run and a deep cross to the far post which found Sunderland lurking—and an 89th-minute winner to lift the cup for the Gunners.

Liam Brady

Liam Brady is one of the greatest players to have taken to the field for Arsenal and scored his share of goals from midfield before heading to Italy.

One of his finest and perhaps his most noted goal was a sublime curling effort into the top corner in a 5-0 demolishing of local rivals Tottenham Hotspur. Brady scored this stunner in 1978, 18 months before he departed the club.

Dennis Bergkamp

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Into the more modern era, Dennis Bergkamp is remembered as one of Arsenal's all-time greats, with the Dutch forward showing poise and technique on the ball which few could match.

He scored a number of great goals in his time at the club, but there are one or two which stand out particularly highly.

Against Newcastle United in the Premier League season of 2001-02, Bergkamp performed an intricate piece of skill and control which saw him flick the ball first time around his marker, spin around him the opposite way, reach the ball first and side-foot past the goalkeeper—a truly great individual goal.

Dennis Bergkamp

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Another of the Dutchman's finest strikes came in the 1997-98 campaign at Leicester City.

He scored a hat-trick in the 3-3 draw, with the third of those another exquisite exhibition of Bergkamp's close control, composure and finishing ability.

One touch controlled a lofted pass, a second flicked the ball back past the defender, a third touch set himself up for the shot—and a goal was the result.

Thierry Henry

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As the highest scorer in the history of Arsenal Football Club, it's not entirely surprising to imagine that Thierry Henry might feature once or twice in a list of their most iconic goals.

Up there right at the top is Henry's sumptuous volley into the top corner against Manchester United, beating compatriot Fabian Barthez in the United goal.

Henry flicked up a pass with his back to goal, spun and smacked in a first-time effort from 25 yards, looping the ball over the keeper and finding the net.

Thierry Henry

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Henry's most iconic solo goal was scored against local rivals Tottenham Hotspur, a long-distance sprint with the ball at his feet, ending in a low, left-footed finish.

Matty Etherington, Ledley King and Stephen Carr were left trailing in his wake as he slalomed from midway inside his own half to the edge of the Spurs penalty box before his shot beat Kasey Keller in the Spurs goal.

Sylvain Wiltord

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Sylvain Wiltord scored one of the most memorable goals in Arsenal's recent history: the goal that clinched the double in 2002.

Wiltord's moment came at Old Trafford in May of the 2001-02 season, where he followed up Freddie Ljungberg's saved shot to sweep home and secure a 1-0 victory for the Gunners over Manchester United.

The French forward scored almost 50 times for Arsenal, none more important than that one.

Ray Parlour

The 2002 FA Cup final might be the goal which Ray Parlour is most remembered for, but the former Arsenal midfielder did an awful lot more which went unnoticed for the club in his 13 seasons with it.

In that final, however, he opened the scoring with a curling 25-yard strike which beat the Chelsea keeper and put Arsenal ahead.

They went on to win 2-0.

Charlie Nicholas

Scroll to the four-minute, 20-second mark here for this goal, Charlie Nicholas' winner in the 1987 Littlewoods Cup final at Wembley.

Arsenal beat Liverpool 2-1 in the final, coming from behind with Nicholas scoring both goals. This one was scored with just seven minutes left and ensured the Gunners picked up the trophy.

Marc Overmars

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Arsenal had to come from way back in the 1997-98 title race to clinch the Premier League trophy, but time has judged their victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford in March to be the moment the race really started to lean Arsenal's way.

They still trailed United in the league table, but that win continued the momentum which took Arsenal to the title.

Marc Overmars scored the all-important goal, beating Peter Schmeichel with a low shot after racing on to Nicolas Anelka's headed pass.

Nwankwo Kanu

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One of the most iconic goals—and indeed games—of the late 1990s was the 3-2 comeback win against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in 1999.

Trailing 2-0 with only 15 minutes to play, Nwankwo Kanu stepped up to score a crazy hat-trick and hand Arsenal an improbable victory.

The most memorable of his strikes was his match-winning, treble-clinching final goal which came in the 90th minute of the match. From a terribly acute angle and on a sodden pitch, he managed to chip the ball over a succession of defenders and find the far corner of the net.

Andrei Arshavin

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Andrei Arshavin's impact on Arsenal and the Premier League was immediate, spectacular and fleeting.

The Russian's star shone brightly after he joined the club—before quickly fading and fizzling out, true—never more so than when he netted all four goals for the Gunners in a thrilling 4-4 draw at Anfield against Liverpool.

His fourth was the most resounding and devastating example of Arsenal on the counter, showing great pace and explosiveness to bury a hammer shot inside the near post late on in the game, putting Arsenal 4-3 ahead at the time.

Charlie George

Arsenal and Liverpool seem to crop up often in big games down the years—and so it proved in the 1971 FA Cup final, where the two met at Wembley.

After a 0-0 draw in 90 minutes, the match went to extra time, where Liverpool took the lead and Arsenal had to come from behind to win 2-1.

Charlie George scored the telling goal with nine minutes of the added period remaining, a spectacular driven strike from 20 yards—and the celebration which ensued has become arguably as memorable as the goal itself.

Jack Wilshere

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One of the most impressive team goals seen during the entire Premier League era was finished off by Jack Wilshere, this very season just completed for Arsenal.

The Gunners cut through Norwich City's back line with a combination of close control, one-touch passing and terrific movement, with Olivier Giroud and Santi Cazorla also both heavily involved.

Wilshere put the final touches on the move to steer it past John Ruddy and put Arsenal ahead in the match.

Ian Wright

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Just two league games after the Dennis Bergkamp hat-trick goal at Leicester City we saw earlier, another strike to be remembered came for Arsenal.

This one was much less spectacular—a two-yard tap-in—but it meant that Ian Wright became Arsenal's all-time leading record goalscorer, his 179 goals breaking the record held by Cliff Bastin.

He ended his time with the Gunners with a total haul of 185 goals.

Andy Linighan

The 1993 FA Cup final went to a replay after Arsenal and Sheffield Wednesday drew 1-1. The replay also ended 1-1 after 90 minutes, forcing extra time.

In the final minute of extra time, just before penalties would have been needed to find an FA Cup winner, Andy Linighan rose to power home a header for Arsenal and win the cup.

It meant Arsenal had beaten Sheffield Wednesday in the finals of both domestic cups that season, having won 2-1 over the Owls in the League Cup final earlier on that year.

Robert Pires

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Arsenal's great late run to the 2002 Premier League title saw them win 13 games on the bounce, in the midst of which was a tough-fought 2-1 win at Aston Villa.

Robert Pires was the match-winner that day, with his excellent all-round performance capped off by a superb solo goal.

Racing on to a through pass, he chipped the ball over the defender, cut inside and then lobbed Peter Schmeichel from just inside the penalty area.

Ray Kennedy

In 1971, Arsenal were afforded the best and perhaps worst of opportunities: clinch the Division One title at the home of their biggest enemies, Tottenham Hotspur.

The Gunners needed to win or draw 0-0 to beat Leeds United to the title, and it took them until the final minutes of the game for Ray Kennedy to powerfully head home a winning goal off the underside of the crossbar.

Arsenal went on to do the double that season.

Alan Smith

We finish up with a strike which claimed Arsenal's only major European trophy to date.

Alan Smith scored the left-footed half-volley which beat Parma in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup final in 1994, with the 20th-minute strike the only goal of the game.

They are a game and a goal which live long in the memory for Arsenal supporters, and ones they hope can be emulated in time in the Champions League.

Compiled with help thanks to B/R's Lee Walker.

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