Football
Highbury Heroes & Emirates Icons: A Data-Driven Quest for Arsenal's Greatest Ever Striker
Arsenal Football Club boasts a rich history adorned with legendary goalscorers who have thrilled fans and fired the club to glory. The debate over who stands as the "greatest ever" striker is one filled with passion and nostalgia.
Thierry Henry celebrates scoring Arsenal's 2nd goal//Getty Images
Throughout its glorious history, Arsenal has been home to some of the most talented strikers that English football has ever seen. From the lightning speed of Thierry Henry to the lethal goal-scoring instinct of Ian Wright, each of these legendary players has brought something unique to the history of the “Gunners”.
John Radford does not impress with his statistics, but he was a versatile striker, who sacrificed himself for the team. He was more of a second striker, a combination between a striker and an attacking midfielder. Intelligent in combinations, hardworking and selfless, Radford was the key to the success of the 1970s. He did not have a killer instinct in front of goal, but he was indispensable in the construction of attacking phases.
SB Market Index – Arsenal's Top Striker Ranked
Our SB Market Index, which gives significant weight to 'Industry Insights' (80%) alongside a statistically derived 'SB Score' (20%) based on their Arsenal careers, reveals the following ranking for Arsenal's greatest ever striker:
Industry Insights
'Industry Insights' reflect a consensus from surveyed expert opinions and media analysis, assigning points based on how frequently each player is cited or ranked highly in discussions about Arsenal's 'greatest ever strikers'.
Industry Insights
| Source | Thierry Henry | Ian Wright | Cliff Bastin | John Radford | Jimmy Brain | Ted Drake |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TalkSport Legends (Shearer/Henry) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Guardian Arsenal Icons | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Arsenal.com Top-50 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Just Arsenal Top-5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| BleacherReport Ranking | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| GiveMeSport List | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Wikipedia Records | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Reddit r/Gunners | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Wikipedia Bastin Record | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| GunnersHub Spotlight | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total Mentions | 8 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
SB Score (Title wins and Runner-ups)
Our 'SB Score' evaluates these Arsenal legends on three core striking metrics: Goals Per Game (GPG), Total Goals for Arsenal, and Total Games played for the club. Stats are normalized before applying weights: GPG (50%), Total Goals (30%), and Total Games (20%).
SB Score
| Rank | Player | Games | Goals | SB Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thierry Henry | 377 | 228 | 0.85706 |
| T2 | Ian Wright | 288 | 185 | 0.78838 |
| T2 | Ted Drake | 184 | 139 | 0.75938 |
| 4 | Cliff Bastin | 396 | 178 | 0.69637 |
| 5 | Jimmy Brain | 232 | 139 | 0.67589 |
| 6 | John Radford | 481 | 149 | 0.60110 |
SB Market Index
| Rank | Player | SB Score | Industry Insights | SB Market Index |
| 1 | Thierry Henry | 0.85706 | 8 | 6.571412 |
| T2 | Ian Wright | 0.78838 | 3 | 2.557676 |
| T2 | Ted Drake | 0.75938 | 3 | 2.551876 |
| 4 | Cliff Bastin | 0.69637 | 2 | 1.739274 |
| 5 | Jimmy Brain | 0.67589 | 2 | 1.735178 |
| 6 | John Radford | 0.60110 | 0 | 0.120220 |
Brief Interpretation of the SB Market Index:
Thierry Henry (SB Market Index: 6.571) overwhelmingly tops our SB Market Index, a position strongly supported by his leading 'SB Score' (driven by most goals and a strong GPG) and the highest 'Industry Insights' score. This underscores his dual dominance in statistical output and expert perception as Arsenal's greatest striker.
Ian Wright and Ted Drake emerge closely matched for the second spot, both benefiting from solid SB Scores and identical Industry Insights
Concluding Thoughts on Arsenal's Striking Legends & Disclaimer
Our comprehensive SB Market Index, which places a strong emphasis on expert and media consensus ('Industry Insights'), unequivocally confirms Thierry Henry's position as Arsenal's greatest ever striker. His superiority in both statistical output for the club and expert perception is clear.
While legends from earlier eras like Ted Drake, Cliff Bastin, and Jimmy Brain boast impressive records, Henry's impact in the modern era resonates most strongly.
Ian Wright's goalscoring feats also cement his place as an Arsenal icon.
Disclaimer:
This analysis uses career statistics for Arsenal and a specific weighted SB Score model, combined with surveyed 'Industry Insights'. Different methodologies, weightings, or sources could yield different conclusions. This is for illustrative and discussion purposes.
With a strong background in journalism and years of experience in sports commentary, Dragoș Șoneriu has written about every aspect of sport, from match reports and features to tactical analyses and investigative pieces. A lifelong Arsenal fan, he dreams of seeing his beloved team lift the Premier League trophy. Outside of work, Dragoș collects anything football-related, from stickers and mugs to vintage shirts and scarves.