Sometimes, despite the best will in the world, things just won’t go to plan no matter how much you try and force them,  in fact, it seems that sometimes the more you try and force something the less likely you are to get the outcome you desire.  Then, just occasionally, there are nights like last night where the end result is beyond imagining.

Up until this point I hadn’t said anything about the re-signing of Henry on a two-month loan mostly because I wasn’t sure. Part of me could see it was a good idea, part of me feared a legend tarnishing his reputation.  I assumed Arsene knew better than me and said nothing.

There’s not much else to report about the match itself, after a bright start we settled in to our usual, wasteful ways.  Arshavin was a bright spark which was great to see, and the cynic in me asks was he working hard to get a move or had Henry had a word or two? Whatever it was, if he keeps putting that effort level in it won’t be too long until he finds a return to form.  Chamakh also worked hard but it seems that nothing will go right for the Morroccan and perhaps six weeks away is exactly what he needs.  The lowlight of the evening was Coquelin’s hamstring injury meaning he will miss at least two to three weeks and we are even more screwed at the back than we were before. We’ve also lost the only viable cover we had for Song as well after we sent Frimpong out on loan only one week ago.

But the night belonged to Henry and rightly so.  He showed that despite the doubts many had about his return that class is indeed permanent.  Cliches are clichés for a reason you know.  Five touches, ten minutes, one shot, that’s all he needed to send the Arsenal world in to rapture and when you saw the praise pouring in from supporters of all clubs you start to get a true feel for the legendary status the man holds if you had any doubt about it yourself.

Many have said today that if you couldn’t find joy in Henry’s scoring return then there is something surely missing inside you and I agree.  Even those who have only recently found a place for Arsenal in their lives, coming to the club after Henry had departed and having never had the chance to witness this sort of display week in week out were moved beyond the normal reactions to a goal over a team from a lower league.

People mocking Henry’s reaction at FT clearly don’t understand the fear he must have had that coming back was a mistake.  To hear him talk about returning to Arsenal as a fan was just the icing on the French cake and I don’t think there can be any doubt that his reaction was instinctive rather than planned, relief and joy all rolled in to one massive Gooner outburst.

And the smile on Wenger’s face when Henry embraced him after slotting effortlessly past the Leeds keeper? A reminder of how  much most of us love Le Professor and have hurt watching him in pain over the past 12 months as things seemed to fall apart around him.

I’m not really sure what else there is to say.  Words seem so pointless, how do you capture such pure, unadulterated joy and not make it seem trite? You don’t. You simply point people towards the video of his goal and encourage them to watch it again for themselves. It says more than I ever could.

Welcome home Thierry.

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