Gary Neville claims Arsenal have a modern-day Thierry Henry and Robert Pires in two key stars

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The current iteration of the Arsenal team have been compared to some icons in the club’s history, with Gary Neville the latest to do so.

With Mikel Arteta’s side pushing for the Premier League title, it has been natural that some players have harked back to greats of the past.

Whether it’s Thierry Henry, Robert Pires, Freddie Ljungberg, Dennis Bergkamp or more, those Arsenal legends live on in the memory.

In Arsenal’s clash with West Ham, there was another moment that was likened to those stars, with a penalty claim raising it in particular.

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Gary Neville compares Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka to Thierry Henry and Robert Pires

In the first half against West Ham, the Gunners took a grip of the game and were awarded a penalty for a clip on Bukayo Saka’s leg.

The forward has been the usual penalty taker in recent seasons, but there was a bit of surprise when he decided against doing so.

Saka was holding the ball but eventually handed it over to club captain Martin Odegaard, with the skipper stepping up to score from the spot.

It was a moment that reminded Gary Neville of Thierry Henry and Robert Pires, stating on Sky Sports: ““There’s no Henry-Pires relationship here where if you get fouled, you don’t take the penalty… That’s confused us all, there is an Henry-Pires relationship.

“The Henry-Pires relationship of 2024 is Saka and Odegaard.”

It’ll be some compliment for the duo, who are certainly on their way towards cementing their legacy amongst those names.

Winning more trophies and competitions will be something they need to add in order to rank themselves in the same sort of conversation.

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How Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard compare to Thierry Henry and Robert Pires

One of the key points to make is that Pires and Henry have finished their careers after a long and successful spell.

While Odegaard and Saka are still playing out their days at Arsenal, with hopes of ending up with the same sort of success as those before them, the numbers make for impressive reading.

The pair have some way to go to make the sorts of numbers that Pires and Henry managed, but they are on their way there.

In terms of their influence, it’s certainly up there with those stars though, with the potential to hit those heights in the future.