Alright so today I got curious about how Benzema stacks up against Arsenal strikers goal-wise. Figured it’d be fun to compare numbers properly instead of just arguing online. Grabbed my laptop around breakfast time with cold coffee still next to me.
Where I Started
First thing – needed data. Pulled up Google sheets and made three columns: one for Benzema, one for classic Arsenal strikers like Henry and Wright, and another for recent ones like Aubameyang and Lacazette. Wanted a mix, you know?
Then realized I only knew bits and pieces off the top of my head. Like, I knew Henry was a beast but didn’t remember exact numbers. Started punching in what I thought was right for Benzema’s Real Madrid goals. Typed “323 goals in 600 games”… then paused. “Wait, is that all competitions?” Felt unsure. Deleted it.
- Decision time: scrap my memory, use Transfermarkt stats properly
- Opened five browser tabs – one for Benzema, one for Henry, one for Ian Wright, one for Auba, one for Laca
- Got distracted for 10 mins watching Henry compilations. Classic mistake.
The Grind Part
Actual data hunting sucked. Transfermarkt shows totals at the top, but competitions are split below. Had to add:
- Premier League goals
- FA Cup
- Champions League
- League Cup
- Other weird ones like Community Shield
For Benzema, it was La Liga, Copa del Rey, UCL, etc. Took forever. Highlighted cells, typed =SUM like a maniac. Messed up twice – forgot Supercopa for Benzema once and counted Wright’s Crystal Palace goals accidentally. Had to redo.
Big headache: comparing eras. Wright played fewer games per season than Auba. Henry’s Arsenal stats didn’t include his silly Barca/Mls years. Made a note: “Different leagues, different times, grain of salt needed“.
Excel Tantrums
Wanted pretty graphs so clicked Insert > Chart. Disaster. Bars overlapped, colors clashed. Benzema’s UCL column dwarfed Wright’s because, well, modern football. Abandoned graphs halfway.
Simplified to total goal numbers per player:
- Benzema (Real only): 354
- Thierry Henry (Arsenal only): 228
- Aubameyang (Arsenal): 92
- Lacazette (Arsenal): 71
- Ian Wright (Arsenal): 185
But percentages! Had to calculate goals per game next. More formulas. Typed =B2/C2 like a robot. Coffee went fully cold here.
What Actually Happened
Surprise: Benzema’s total blew others away – shocker, he stayed at a giant club for ages. But goals per game? Henry beat him narrowly: 0.68 vs 0.59. Aubameyang was close behind at 0.57. Wright? Absolute legend with 0.54.
Felt unsatisfied though. Lacazette’s numbers looked weaker until I checked – he played deeper sometimes. Context matters. Jotted down “Auba’s stats dipped hard after the contract thing” because stats don’t show drama.
Final Messy Notes
Closed laptop around lunch. Realized comparing Benzema to all Arsenal strikers was kinda apples-to-oranges. Wright belongs to a different planet time-wise. Modern guys like Auba had patchy forms. Benzema’s longevity warped totals. My takeaways:
- Pure goals: Benzema wins by mass
- Efficiency: Henry still king per minute
- Fun factor: Wright’s record had more tap-ins and chaos
Stats don’t settle debates honestly. But hey, was fun digging. Might redo with per-90 stats next time if I can handle more spreadsheets. Or maybe not. My eyes still hurt from squinting.
