Former Arsenal star Thierry Henry has discussed his dislike for Tottenham Hotspur - plenty of years on from featuring for the Gunners in the North London Derby against the side.
15:35, 23 Nov 2025
Thierry Henry in front of a TV camera.
View 2 Images
Thierry Henry has shown his true Arsenal colours - when speaking about the North London Derby.(Image: Getty Images)
Arsenal icon Thierry Henry has revealed he still doesn't like Tottenham Hotspur, nearly 20 years on from his final appearance against their rivals in North London Derby. The French striker had plenty of memorable moments for the Gunners, with a fair few of them coming in the local clash.
Many will remember Henry's iconic solo goal against Tottenham in 2002, with the knee slide celebration going down in history - so much so that it is the inspiration for his statue outside the Emirates Stadium. Then there was more joy in 2004, when Arsenal won the Premier League at White Hart Lane, with the star leading the celebrations in front of their fiercest rivals.
Plenty of those displays were fuelled by a simple dislike for Spurs, which Henry has revealed he still has all these years later. The 48-year-old was discussing the rivalry before Arsenal's clash with Tottenham in the North London Derby, and outlined his reasons for it.
Speaking on Sky Sports, he said: "They don't like me, I don't like them.
"And that's about it. We're talking about sport, it's nothing. I have [speak to] a lot of Tottenham fans, but when the game is on, it isn't about being friendly with them."
Join the football.london Arsenal WhatsApp channel
Join our Arsenal WhatsApp channel and get all the latest breaking news, opinion, podcasts and in-depth stories from football.london's dedicated Arsenal writers straight to your phone!
By following this free service you will be the first to know the news from the Emirates Stadium as it happens, when it happens.
To join our dedicated Arsenal channel, all you have to do is click this link and you can join thousands of others following our Gunners coverage!
If you're curious, you can check out our privacy policy here.
Henry was then asked if Sol Campbell's controversial move from Tottenham to Arsenal fuelled some of that dislike, which he went on to explain. He said: "You know what, when Sol came, I said to him 'Are you mad, or are you mad'? I said 'What did you do'?
"I was happy because I didn't have to play against him anymore, but at the very beginning I was like 'Did he actually realise what he did'? You know, and I'm happy that he did, I'm not judging what he did, I wouldn't have done it."
Over his whole Arsenal career, Henry ended up facing off against Tottenham 11 times - winning seven matches, drawing four and not losing a single one. The Frenchman's personal record was decent, with five goals and two assists in the North London Derby.
Thierry Henry celebrates a goal against Spurs.
View 2 Images
Thierry Henry celebrates his goal against Tottenham in the North London Derby in 2002.
Henry's last appearance against Tottenham came in April 2006, where he bagged an 84th equaliser during their 1-1 draw at the Emirates Stadium. While it's been almost 20 years since his last match against Spurs, the former Arsenal man hasn't been shy when it comes to poking fun at his old rivals.
Henry recently made his first visit to the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, while attending a high-profile boxing event, where he would take a chance to aim another dig at the Lilywhites. He told DAZN: "Weird. I never came to the new stadium, I used to come to the old one and win a lot - but it's nice."
Article continues below
Even all these years later, it's become clear just how much the North London Derby meant to Henry, with that dislike carrying over beyond his playing career.