There are not many players in football history who would back themselves against Thierry Henry.
The Arsenal legend is widely regarded as one of the greatest forwards to ever play the game. He won everything there was to win, dominated the Premier League for years and remains the benchmark for many when discussing the best striker of his generation.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic, however, has never lacked confidence.
The Swedish icon was recently asked a fascinating question during a lie-detector test with James Corden, and the answer revealed exactly what he truly thinks about himself compared to Henry.
Arsenal fans…give us your biggest theory on how things would be different if we HADN’T signed Thierry Henry…
Lie detector test confirms Zlatan Ibrahimovic genuinely believes he was better than Thierry Henry
Ibrahimovic built an extraordinary career for himself.
From Ajax and Juventus to Inter Milan, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and AC Milan, the striker scored goals almost everywhere he went. Ibrahimovic even rejected Arsenal at one point.
Along the way, he developed a reputation for supreme self-belief and never seemed particularly interested in being humble about his abilities.
That confidence was put to the test when he appeared on James Corden’s show on Fox Sports and agreed to take part in a lie-detector challenge.
One of the questions centred around Thierry Henry, a player often mentioned in the same breath as Zlatan when discussing the greatest forwards of the modern era.
When asked whether he believed he was a better footballer than the Arsenal legend, Ibrahimovic answered ‘yes’ without hesitation.
That response was hardly shocking, but what surprised people was the result that followed.
According to the lie detector, Ibrahimovic was telling the truth, meaning he genuinely believes he was superior to Henry.
It was not a joke or an attempt to provoke debate. In Zlatan’s mind, he had the better career and was the better player.
Aside from Thierry Henry, who is the best Champions League winner to play for Arsenal? Comment below!
Most Arsenal fans will still choose Thierry Henry every time
There is no denying Ibrahimovic’s greatness.
Few strikers in football history have combined technical ability, physical dominance and longevity quite like the Swede. His goalscoring record is phenomenal, and some of the goals he scored throughout his career bordered on the ridiculous.
However, Arsenal supporters are unlikely to be convinced by his assessment.
Henry was more than just a goalscorer. At his peak, he was arguably the most complete attacking player in world football.
The legendary Frenchman could score, create, run games by himself and produce moments that left defenders looking helpless, and his influence on Arsene Wenger’s Invincibles side alone places him among the greatest players the Premier League has ever seen.
That is what makes this debate so fascinating.
Ibrahimovic genuinely believes he was better, and the lie detector suggests he means it. But if you asked most Arsenal fans, and probably most neutral supporters too, they would still be taking Henry without a second thought.
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