Having been an Arsenal season ticket holder since the 2007/08 season, I’ve been fortunate enough to witness some truly special goals in the flesh.
From last-minute winners that sent the Emirates into raptures, to moments of pure individual brilliance, I’ve seen my fair share of strikes that will live with me forever.
I may be too young to remember the Gunners at their very peak in the early 2000s, but I’ve still been there for goals that made the ground erupt in a way you never quite forget. Even in the bleak late Wenger years, the Frenchman’s teams had a capacity to produce beautifully constructed and eye-catching team goals.
With that in mind, here are my five favourite Arsenal goals I’ve witnessed live.
Eduardo vs Burnley
You might not expect an FA Cup fifth-round goal that makes the game 2-0 to come up in a best Arsenal goals list, but Eduardo’s spectacular volley against Burnley in 2009 was so good it couldn’t miss out.
The Gunners were cruising into the Quarter-Finals of England’s oldest club competition, and the Croatian added the cherry on top with a delicious finish towards the end. In the second phase of a set-piece, Alex Song clipped a delightful ball over the top into Eduardo, who diverted the ball back across goal with a sublime outside-of-the-foot volley.
An eight-year-old Alfie, sat in the North Bank, was stunned at what he’d just witnessed.
Jack Wilshere vs Norwich
I was fortunate enough to see the greatest team goal in the history of football live. In 2013, Jack Wilshere’s stunning goal against Norwich encapsulated everything that was special about Wengerball at its peak.
Santi Cazorla got the ball rolling, driving inside before exchanging passes with Wilshere, who exchanged a double one-two with Olivier Giroud, before slotting beyond John Ruddy. A telepathic combination between the three players, perfectly exchanging intricate passes and flicks to carve the Canaries open.
Declan Rice vs Real Madrid
How could Declan Rice not feature on this list? Sat in my row nine North Bank seat, I was right behind the ball when the England midfield stepped up and curled an outstanding free-kick beyond Thibaut Courtois to open up a close and cagey Champions League quarter-final.
The whip and pace Rice was able to generate on the strike was staggering. Technique from another planet. The Emirates limbs were extraordinary, with the North Bank basically in disbelief that we’d actually scored directly from a free-kick (we hadn’t done so in almost five years before this).
Declan Rice vs Real Madrid (again)
It would be silly to include the first free-kick and not include the Puskas-nominated second effort from Rice. The fact he did it twice in one game was astounding, and the fact that the second was even better than the first is even more incredible.
Stepping up in a more central position this time, Rice let fly and produced the most postage stamp top corner finish you’ll ever see. It couldn’t have been struck more perfectly, and this time around, the Emirates roar was even more deafening and chaotic.
Eberechi Eze vs Bayer Leverkusen
It might be recency bias, but Eberechi Eze’s screamer against Bayer Leverkusen has to be one of the best I’ve seen live. It’s just not the sort of goal you see Arsenal players score very regularly, and that’s why it’ll live long in the memory.
Letting the ball set perfectly, Eze hit a stunning bouncing ball, which flew past the Leverkusen goalkeeper before he could even get set. The technique was out of this world, while the power and velocity of the shot were outrageous. Exceptional.
