As the back cover of the DVD states, “There’s no better feeling than when Arsenal score,” and that is the very thought that persuaded me to buy the latest Arsenal DVD release – 501 Goals presented by Dermot O’Leary.
Almost 3 hours of great Arsenal goals; what could be better? There are goals from 40 different players since 1970, each of whom scored more than 20 goals for Arsenal. From the famous Double-winning team of 1971 (McLintock, Graham, Armstrong, George etc) to the greats of today (Henry, Bergkamp, Vieira, Pires, Ljungberg), it’s an absolute joy to watch over 3 decades of Arsenal goals. You can either to watch a player of your choice, or see all 501 goals in a player by player order, starting with Vieira and ending with Ian Wright. There are various bonus features too including an interview with Charlie George, some hilarious own goals, Arsenal’s top scorers and a top 10 goals collection.
I was not even born when Liam Brady thrilled Highbury with the genius in his left boot or when Charlie George was the darling of the North Bank. I never saw the skills of David Rocastle or Anders Limpar. Finally, I could see why people still talk about Liam Brady and David Rocastle, and why they made it into Arsenal’s Official Dream Team. It is worth buying just for these reasons, let alone to see some of Bergkamp’s, Henry’s and Wright’s outrageous strikes.
The presentation by Dermot O’Leary is, in my opinion, excellent. He comes across as a genuinely funny guy and his passion for Arsenal Football Club is obvious. Many of his brief interludes come straight from the heart of Higbury – the home team’s dressing room.
There are also interviews with both current and former Arsenal players which are insightful, thoughtful and interesting.
There are a few minor criticisms of the overall product. Firstly, there is a noticeable lack of helpful information. You are not told when each goal was scored and what club it was scored against. Furthermore, it would have been nice to know how many seasons each player had played for the club, and how many goals they scored. This would have been much appreciated and would have increased the quality of the product by quite a way.
Nevertheless, do not be put off. Why not add to your collection of Arsenal videos and DVDs with this recent release? Alternatively, maybe it’s time to start your collection. This is certainly worth your money.