Carlos Vela – still Arsenal’s new Henry?

Back in November 2007, Eddy van der Kloot wrote on this website that Mexican Carlos Vela was making all the right noises and had all the suitable skill to emulate Arsenal legend Thierry Henry. After a stunning hat-trick against Sheffield United midweek, is he ready to become a new Arsenal legend?

At 19, Vela has already been at Arsenal for three years but didn’t receive a work permit until May this year. Instead, he has been plying his trade at a host of Spanish clubs without necessarily making the impact he wanted or expected. He failed to play at all for Celta Vigo but did make 31 appearances for second division outfit Salamanca, scoring eight times. Still without a work permit, Premier Division side Osasuna took him on loan last season though Vela was part of a gloomy campaign for the Pamplona-based club. They avoided relegation by a single point just a year after making it to the Uefa Cup semi-finals and Vela netted only three times in 33 appearances.

Instead of Vela earning comparisons with Henry, he seemed to be heading down a similar path as many of the other prodigious but ultimately inadequate young players at Arsenal, joining the likes of Antony Stokes and Arturo Lupoli.

Having received his work permit, Wenger retained him but had to make a key decision: would Vela be better tried as a winger, having demonstrated he is able in that position when he contributed 15 assists in one season with Salamanca, or did he have the confidence and dexterity to assume the role of lead striker?

Having scored five times in Mexico’s victory at the 2005 FIFA U-17 World Championship and already netted four goals in only 10 matches with the senior side, Wenger opted for the latter.

The French maestro is rarely wrong, and Vela wowed the Emirates crowd on his first start for Arsenal with a fabulous hat-trick against Sheffield United. The Arsenal side averaged just 19 years of age but nevertheless demolished the opposition, and Vela’s performance had some reminiscing about Henry, particularly after his second goal, a delightful, seemingly impossible, chip over Paddy Kenny – who was left to look a fool.

All three of his goals demonstrated Vela’s terrific pace and precision finishing, something Arsenal have desperately lacked since Henry’s elongated departure. Theo Walcott showed much the same with his own hat-trick on England duty; the duo’s clinicality in front of goal offering belated relief for those used to Emmanuel Adebayor’s often wayward shooting.

In the Eduardo mould, Vela’s full début offered nothing but plus points. Like the Brazilian-born Croat, he took his time to develop and fully hone his skills; a predator’s instinct is not always something natural. Vela struggled last year but his goal-scoring abilities have not been in doubt since he conquered a strong field at the U-17 World Championships, inspiring Mexico to an improbable triumph and Wenger into spending £2.5m for his services. With the confidence of his coach, he is limited only by the sky.

Vela has always been able to match the impudence and style of Henry – but after considerable finishing practice, he appears all set to rival the icon’s goal tally as well.

Is Vela ready to lead the line for Arsenal or is Adebayor up to the job?
Leave your views below in the comments box.