Top 10 Highest Goal Scorers in Arsenal History (Updated 2026)

Highest Goal Scorers in Arsenal History: The highest goal scorers in Arsenal history are the players who made the Emirates and Highbury roar. They scored in title deciders, FA Cup finals, and unforgettable European nights. They were clinical. They were consistent. They were legends.

Arsenal was founded in 1886. Over 130 years of football have produced some of the most iconic strikers English football has ever seen. These ten players sit above everyone else in the club’s all-time scoring records.

Over a Century of Goals at Arsenal

Every great Arsenal era had a goal scorer at its heart. Herbert Chapman’s 1930s side had Ted Drake and Cliff Bastin. The Arsene Wenger years had Thierry Henry and Robin van Persie. Each decade produced a new hero. Each hero left a mark that never faded.

Top 10 Highest Goal Scorers in Arsenal History

These ten players represent the very best of Arsenal’s attacking history. Their records are based on competitive matches only.

1. Thierry Henry

• Total Goals: 228
• Total Appearances: 377
• League Goals: 175 in 258 games
• FA Cup Goals: 8 in 26 games
• League Cup Goals: 2 in 3 games
• European Goals: 42 in 86 games
• Other Goals: 1 in 4 games
• Career Span: 1999 to 2007 and 2012
• Nationality: France

Thierry Henry is the greatest goal scorer in Arsenal history. His 228 goals in 377 appearances is a record that no other player has come close to matching.

He arrived from Juventus in 1999. Arsene Wenger converted him from a winger into the most lethal centre forward the Premier League had ever seen. He was the club’s leading scorer for seven consecutive seasons from 1999-2000 to 2005-06. He broke Ian Wright’s long-standing record in October 2005 after scoring twice against Sparta Prague in a European tie.

His movement was impossible to read. His finishing was ice cold. His left foot was a weapon of destruction. He was simply the best.

Achievements:

• 2× Premier League title winner with Arsenal
• Part of the historic Invincibles squad in 2003-04
• 4× Premier League Golden Boot winner
• 2× PFA Players Player of the Year
• FA Cup winner with Arsenal
• Premier League all-time top scorer at the time of his departure

2. Ian Wright

• Total Goals: 185
• Total Appearances: 288
• League Goals: 128 in 221 games
• FA Cup Goals: 12 in 16 games
• League Cup Goals: 29 in 29 games
• European Goals: 15 in 21 games
• Other Goals: 1 in 1 game
• Career Span: 1991 to 1998
• Nationality: England

Ian Wright scored 185 goals in just 288 appearances. He arrived from Crystal Palace in 1991 and hit the ground running from the very first day.

He scored at least 15 goals in each of his first six seasons at the club. His League Cup record of 29 goals is a club record that still stands today. He held the all-time Arsenal scoring record for eight years before Henry finally surpassed it. That record took genuine brilliance to build and genuine brilliance to break.

He was electric, passionate, and completely fearless in front of goal. Arsenal was his stage and he performed on it every single week.

Achievements:

• 1× Premier League title winner in 1997-98
• 1× FA Cup winner
• 1× European Cup Winners Cup winner in 1993-94
• First Division Golden Boot in 1991-92
• Arsenal all-time top scorer record holder for eight years
• MBE for services to football

3. Cliff Bastin

• Total Goals: 178
• Total Appearances: 396
• League Goals: 150 in 350 games
• FA Cup Goals: 26 in 42 games
• League Cup Goals: 0
• European Goals: 0
• Other Goals: 2 in 4 games
• Career Span: 1929 to 1947
• Nationality: England

Cliff Bastin scored 178 goals in 396 appearances across 18 seasons at Arsenal. He held the all-time club scoring record from 1939 right through to 1997. That is 58 years as the record holder.

He joined Arsenal as a teenager and became a cornerstone of Herbert Chapman’s dominant 1930s side. His 26 FA Cup goals remain a club record that has never been beaten. The Second World War wiped out several years of competitive football. Without that interruption his total would have been considerably higher.

He was quiet, humble, and devastatingly effective. One of the most important players in the club’s entire history.

Achievements:

• 5× First Division champion
• 2× FA Cup winner
• 5× FA Charity Shield winner
• Arsenal all-time record holder for 58 years
• Inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2009
• Still holds the club record for FA Cup goals with 26

4. John Radford

• Total Goals: 149
• Total Appearances: 481
• League Goals: 111 in 379 games
• FA Cup Goals: 15 in 44 games
• League Cup Goals: 12 in 34 games
• European Goals: 11 in 24 games
• Other Goals: 0
• Career Span: 1964 to 1976
• Nationality: England

John Radford scored 149 goals in 481 appearances across 12 loyal seasons at Arsenal. He was not the flashiest player in the squad. He was the most dependable.

He became the youngest player in Arsenal history to score a hat-trick. He was just 17 years and 315 days old when he achieved it. That record still stands in 2026. He was a central figure in one of the club’s most celebrated sides, the 1970-71 Double winners.

He gave everything to the Arsenal shirt every single time he wore it. His 481 appearances tell the full story of his commitment.

Achievements:

• 1× First Division title winner in 1970-71
• 1× FA Cup winner in 1970-71
• 1× Inter-Cities Fairs Cup winner in 1969-70
• Youngest Arsenal player to score a hat-trick, a record that still stands
• 2× Arsenal Player of the Season

5. Jimmy Brain

• Total Goals: 139
• Total Appearances: 232
• League Goals: 125 in 204 games
• FA Cup Goals: 14 in 27 games
• League Cup Goals: 0
• European Goals: 0
• Other Goals: 0 in 1 game
• Career Span: 1923 to 1931
• Nationality: England

Jimmy Brain scored 139 goals in 232 appearances across eight seasons at Arsenal. He was the first player in the club’s history to score 100 goals.

He was Arsenal’s top scorer for four consecutive seasons. His best campaign produced 39 goals in 47 games in 1925-26. His record of 12 hat-tricks for the club has never been matched by any other Arsenal player. He was one of the most consistent centre forwards the club has ever had.

Achievements:

• First Arsenal player to score 100 goals for the club
• Club’s top scorer for four consecutive seasons
• Holds the Arsenal record for most hat-tricks with 12
• Best season: 39 goals in 47 games in 1925-26

5. Ted Drake

• Total Goals: 139
• Total Appearances: 184
• League Goals: 124 in 168 games
• FA Cup Goals: 12 in 14 games
• League Cup Goals: 0
• European Goals: 0
• Other Goals: 3 in 2 games
• Career Span: 1934 to 1945
• Nationality: England

Ted Drake scored 139 goals in just 184 appearances. His goals per game ratio of 0.75 is the best on this entire list. He was an absolute force of nature as a centre forward.

In the 1934-35 season he scored 44 goals in 45 games. That seasonal record has never been beaten at Arsenal. On 14 December 1935 he scored seven goals in a single match against Aston Villa. One game. Seven goals. It has never been repeated by any Arsenal player.

Achievements:

• 2× First Division champion in 1934-35 and 1937-38
• 1× FA Cup winner in 1935-36
• First Division Golden Boot in 1934-35
• Club record of 44 goals in a single season, never beaten
• Scored seven goals in one game against Aston Villa in 1935
• His image features permanently on the Emirates Stadium mural

7. Doug Lishman

• Total Goals: 137
• Total Appearances: 244
• League Goals: 125 in 226 games
• FA Cup Goals: 10 in 17 games
• League Cup Goals: 0
• European Goals: 0
• Other Goals: 2 in 1 game
• Career Span: 1948 to 1956
• Nationality: England

Doug Lishman scored 137 goals in 244 appearances across eight seasons at Arsenal. He was the club’s leading scorer for five consecutive seasons between 1951 and 1955. That level of consistency across half a decade is something very few strikers achieve.

He scored 22 crucial goals in the 1952-53 title-winning season. His best individual campaign produced 29 goals in 45 games in 1951-52. He is one of the most underappreciated players in the club’s post-war history.

Achievements:

• 1× First Division title winner in 1952-53
• Arsenal’s top scorer for five consecutive seasons
• Best season: 29 goals in 45 games in 1951-52
• 8 hat-tricks during his Arsenal career

8. Robin van Persie

• Total Goals: 132
• Total Appearances: 278
• League Goals: 96 in 193 games
• FA Cup Goals: 10 in 17 games
• League Cup Goals: 6 in 12 games
• European Goals: 20 in 53 games
• Other Goals: 0 in 2 games
• Career Span: 2004 to 2012
• Nationality: Netherlands

Robin van Persie scored 132 goals in 278 appearances across eight seasons at Arsenal. He arrived from Feyenoord in 2004 as a raw talent. He left in 2012 as one of the best strikers on the planet.

Injuries plagued his early years at the club. When he finally stayed fit, the goals arrived in extraordinary numbers. In 2011-12 he scored 37 goals in 48 games. He won every major individual award that season. His departure to Manchester United that summer remains one of the most painful transfers in recent Arsenal history.

Achievements:

• 2× Premier League Golden Boot winner including 2011-12
• PFA Players Player of the Year in 2011-12
• FWA Footballer of the Year in 2011-12
• 1× FA Cup winner in 2004-05
• 20 European goals in Arsenal colours
• Voted into Arsenal’s all-time greatest XI by supporters

9. Joe Hulme

• Total Goals: 125
• Total Appearances: 374
• League Goals: 107 in 333 games
• FA Cup Goals: 17 in 39 games
• League Cup Goals: 0
• European Goals: 0
• Other Goals: 1 in 2 games
• Career Span: 1926 to 1938
• Nationality: England

Joe Hulme scored 125 goals in 374 appearances across 12 seasons at Arsenal. He was primarily a winger in an era when wingers were expected to create rather than score. He did both at the highest level.

He was part of the legendary Herbert Chapman Arsenal side that dominated English football throughout the 1930s. His best season produced 22 goals in 42 games in 1932-33. He was also a professional cricketer during the football off-season, representing Middlesex with genuine distinction.

Achievements:

• 4× First Division champion
• 2× FA Cup winner
• 2× FA Charity Shield winner
• Best season: 22 goals in 42 games in 1932-33
• Professional cricketer for Middlesex alongside his football career

10. David Jack

• Total Goals: 124
• Total Appearances: 208
• League Goals: 113 in 181 games
• FA Cup Goals: 10 in 25 games
• League Cup Goals: 0
• European Goals: 0
• Other Goals: 1 in 2 games
• Career Span: 1928 to 1934
• Nationality: England

David Jack scored 124 goals in 208 appearances across six seasons at Arsenal. He was the most expensive footballer in Britain when Arsenal signed him from Bolton Wanderers in 1928 for a then world record fee of £10,647.

Manager Herbert Chapman believed the investment was worth every penny. Jack proved him completely right. He scored in nine consecutive matches for Arsenal, a club record for consecutive scoring appearances that has never been beaten. His best season produced 34 goals in 39 games in 1930-31.

Achievements:

• 3× First Division champion in 1930-31, 1932-33 and 1933-34
• 1× FA Cup winner in 1929-30
• 7 hat-tricks in Arsenal colours
• Holds the club record for most consecutive games scored in, nine matches
• Was the world’s most expensive footballer when signed in 1928

How the Records Compare

FAQs

Q: Who is the highest goal scorer in Arsenal history?
Thierry Henry. He scored 228 goals in 377 appearances between 1999 and 2012. No other Arsenal player has come close to that total.

Q: Who did Thierry Henry break the record from?
He broke Ian Wright’s record in October 2005. Henry scored twice against Sparta Prague in a European tie to surpass Wright’s tally of 185 goals.

Q: Who has the best goals per game ratio in Arsenal history?
Ted Drake. He scored 139 goals in just 184 appearances. That gives him a ratio of 0.75 goals per game, the best of any player on this list.

Q: Who holds the Arsenal record for FA Cup goals?
Cliff Bastin. He scored 26 FA Cup goals during his career from 1929 to 1947. That record has never been beaten.

Q: Who is Arsenal’s top scorer in the current squad in 2026?
Bukayo Saka is the leading scorer in the current Arsenal squad. He continues to add to his tally with every passing season and has the potential to challenge the top ten over the coming years.

Q: Which Arsenal player scored the most League Cup goals?
Ian Wright. He scored 29 League Cup goals during his time at the club. That record still stands today.

Conclusion

The highest goal scorers in Arsenal history span nearly a century of football. From Ted Drake’s seven goals in a single match to Thierry Henry’s seven consecutive seasons as top scorer, this list represents the finest attacking talent the club has ever produced.

Henry’s 228 goals may never be beaten. But every generation produces its own hero. The next great Arsenal scorer is already pulling on the red and white shirt. Their chapter is still being written.