"He made my job easy" - Former Arsenal star claims Robin van Persie was a better finisher than Thierry Henry

Former Arsenal forward Theo Walcott has shed light on who he believed was the more proficient goal-scorer between Robin van Persie and Thierry Henry.

Walcott, who recently hung up his boots, had some intriguing opinions to share on his former teammates during a sit-down with Gary Neville. On his show "The Overlap", Neville questioned Walcott's thoughts on the goal-scoring prowess of Henry, particularly his iconic far corner goals (via Daily Star):

"Do you ever look at say Thierry Henry's career, and I always think of his goal, that one in that left channel where he'd set it out into the far corner, you had that goal didn't you? In between left-back and left centre-back where you'd fire it into that far corner."

Walcott had an unexpected answer:

"Yeah essentially, to be fair, I always thought Van Persie was a better finisher than Henry."

This admission jolted Neville, who responded:

"You think so? Controversial."

To which Walcott humorously added:

"Left footers look better as well, right."

The conversation veered toward role models when Neville queried if Walcott viewed Henry as such:

"So you'd look at Van Persie as sort of a bigger role model for you in terms of how you'd finish? I thought you'd look at Thierry."

The former Arsenal winger was quick to clarify:

"Well it's more the fact because I played a lot more with Robin. I did play with Thierry but Robin was - he made my job easy, because I'd literally give it to him and he'd score and it was an assist done."

Further into the conversation, Walcott did not hesitate to double down on his praise for Van Persie. When pressed about who he'd place his bets on for a life-dependent penalty kick, Walcott unequivocally picked Van Persie.

Walcott's opinion may stir the pot among Arsenal fans, many of whom fell in love with Thierry Henry's goalscoring before the forward opted for a Barcelona move.

The Frenchman remains the Gunners' highest goalscorer of all time, racking up 228 goals in 377 appearances. Robin van Persie, meanwhile, racked up an impressive 132 goals in just 278 appearances for Arsenal. He has also scored the most goals at the Emirates Stadium, putting 64 into the net against opponents throughout his career with the Gunners.

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Arsenal hit by Thomas Partey's three-month injury absence

Gunners key player Thomas Partey is set to miss a chunk of the season due to an injury sustained in training, as per a recent report from The Sun. Despite bringing in Declan Rice earlier this season, Partey's absence is sure to affect the team's dynamics and strategy in the coming months.

In a season where Partey was consistently delivering performances, his latest injury will be a significant setback for Mikel Arteta's tactical plans. Initially brought in for his midfield prowess, Partey has been a versatile asset for the Gunners. His contributions have not gone unnoticed, as he has played at right-back this season.

The timing of the midfielder's injury couldn't be worse for Arsenal. While Declan Rice has been a valuable addition to the squad, Partey's unique skill set will be sorely missed. The Ghana international's ability to acclimate to various tactical shifts made by Arteta has been crucial for the Gunners.