Leeds United: Arsenal's best ever player battered Elland Road outfit - View | OneFootball

In 2017, Arsenal published a list of their 50 greatest players ever, and it was no surprise who topped the list.

The honour, of course, went to Frenchman Thierry Henry, after a fine playing career in the professional game, the vast majority of which was spent with the Gunners.

Having joined the club from Monaco in 1999, Henry would go on to make 377 appearances in total under Arsene Wenger, scoring an incredible 228 goals and registering an impressive 96 assists.

Unfortunately for Leeds United, one of the sides that Henry loved to play against most was Leeds, boasting a fantastic goalscoring and assist record against the Whites throughout his career.

According to Transfermarkt, for example, there were only one club that Henry scored more goals against than Leeds in his career, Middlesbrough.

Against Boro, Henry netted 13 goals, but Leeds are joint-second on the list, with the Frenchman registering 12 strikes against the Elland Road outfit. Aston Villa and Charlton Athletic are the clubs that share second spot with Leeds in this regard.

Henry also boasts an impressive winning record against the Whites, partly as a result of his goalscoring exploits. For example, the Frenchman, along with his Arsenal teammates, won eight of the 13 matches he played against Leeds throughout his career.

It did not take Henry long to get to goalscoring ways against Leeds following his arrival in England, unfortunately for Whites' supporters.

The Frenchman's debut Premier League campaign came in 1999/2000, for example, a season in which Arsenal would do the double over Leeds, with Henry getting on the scoresheet in both matches.

That season, in December 1999, Henry netted in a 2-0 win for the Gunners at Highbury, whilst also scoring a single goal and registering an assist in a 4-0 Arsenal victory at Elland Road in April 2000.

The context of these goals is crucial, too. Although Manchester United were running away with the league title at the time, Leeds and Arsenal were both very much involved in the race for the top three and a spot in the Champions League, which they would both go on to achieve.

Interestingly, Henry would go goalless against Leeds for the next two seasons, albeit managing to register three assists in that time. Come the 2002/03 and 2003/04 campaign, however, the Frenchman would soon make up for it.

In 2002/03, he netted in both league matches against Leeds, but it was the following season the Frenchman was at his most devastating.

In 2003/04, as Arsenal won the league as invincibles, Henry toyed with the Whites defence. Away at Elland Road in November that season, for example, the Frenchman was at the double for the Gunners as they ran out 4-1 winners over a struggling Leeds side.

The next time the two sides met that season was in the FA Cup third round. However, it was a similar story for Leeds that time, too. Once again at Elland Road, Arsenal ran out 4-1 winners, with Henry providing three direct goal contributions with a single strike and two assists, compiling further misery on the Elland Road outfit.

It was later that campaign, however, on an April evening at Highbury that Henry would produce his finest performance against Leeds United as the Gunners edged towards the Premier League title.

That day, Henry scored four goals, making a mockery of Leeds' defence as Arsenal cruised to a 5-0 victory.

The end of Henry's Leeds exploits

That season, Leeds were relegated from the top-fight, and would not return to English football's top table until 2020/21.

This swiftly put an end to Henry's exploits for Arsenal, whom he would leave in 2007 for Barcelona.

Leeds will have been glad to see the back of Henry, no doubt, but the Frenchman did find one last moment to inflict suffering on the club.

Returning to Arsenal on loan for two months in 2012, the Gunners were once again drawn against Leeds in the FA Cup third round and on a cold January evening, the Frenchman made his second debut for the club, going on to score the winning goal in a 1-0 Arsenal victory.

Almost a decade on from the height of his exploits against Leeds, it was a reminder yet again of the success Henry had had over the years against the Whites.