Thierry Henry finally returned yesterday and immediately showed why he is one of, if not the, most dangerous striker in international soccer right now. He had been sidelined for six weeks with a groin injury, suffered while representing his home country France for a World Cup qualifier, a time when Arsenal went only 2-2-1 in Premiership play. Henry didn't even start the game yesterday against Sparta Prague but was called off the bench when Jose Antonio Reyes went down with an injury. It took only six minutes after that for Henry to assert himself as the leader of this Arsenal squad by tying Ian Wright's club scoring record and giving the group an important early lead in a Champions League game. Already playing without Sol Campbell, Ashley Cole, Alexander Hleb and Freddie Ljungberg the Gunners needed some kind of spark on the road to get them going. That is what Henry provided, just as he normally does, and set the stage for a win that sets up the squad nicely to advance in the Champions League. A second half goal set him alone atop the of the club scoring list showing everyone who may have had a doubt that he is one of the greatest scorers in European soccer history.

Henry is clearly the captain of this team for good reason. Although not particularly vocal, his teammates look for him as the general on the field. There is a clear difference of play when he's not on the field. In his absence, the front line was usually manned with Jose Antonio Reyes and Robin Van Persie. Reyes, the 22 year old Spaniard, is now in his second full year as a starter for the Gunners and has exceptional talent but is not ready to step into a leadership position for one of the most prestigious clubs in England. Van Persie, also 22 but Dutch, started a handful of games last Premiership season and is probably a long term fixture for Arsenal but does not bring the type of poise and calming presence that Henry does day in and day out. Although they are a long way out of the Premiership race at this point, the Gunners seem ready to get it together for the rest of the season as they prepare to take on the rest of Europe for the Champions League title.