With Henry taking one touch to control the ball before calmly guiding his finish beyond Andy Lonergan, it was reminiscent of so many of his previous 226 goals for Arsenal.
“When he was in this position, I thought, 'Oh, that’s your angle, but it’s a bit too close’,” Wenger said. “That’s where it surprised me. He didn’t force the shot. I thought he’d take a very strong inside shot but he made it look easy.
“I thought he was a bit too far to the left but he always had that special finishing. That was the Thierry Henry finishing.”
Wenger was also satisfied with Henry’s general play, having taken the slightly surprising decision to bring him on as the main central striker. “He can play through the flanks or through the middle,” Wenger said. “He’s done it all. You could see straight away that he was a presence on the pitch and, if you could find him, he’d be dangerous. He’s sharp physically.
“He has a presence. The intention of his movement gives defenders always a problem. He knows where to go after 10 minutes on a pitch.
“I wouldn’t put him on the pitch with what he’s done here if he wasn’t ready. That would be unfair.”
Wenger also cited Henry’s dressing-room example. “He’s a special player,” he said. “What is good for the club, and for the young players, is a guy who has done it all, prepares 100 per cent, is focused and motivated, and comes on with an immense desire to do well.
“He’s a proud guy and doesn’t want to disappoint people. That’s what champions are all about.”
Henry’s extraordinary Arsenal return follows Paul Scholes’s decision to come out of retirement for Manchester United on Sunday. “It looks like the best transfer market is to get your old players back,” Wenger said.
The manager’s dilemma now is how best to use Henry against Swansea on Sunday when Robin van Persie will return after a two-week rest from competitive matches and a brief holiday in Dubai. Realistically, Henry will be competing with Andrei Arshavin to start on the left of Wenger’s 4-2-3-1 formation.
“I don’t know if Thierry will start or not,” Wenger said. “He could play behind, in front of Robin, on the flank. Robin could play on the flank. They can play together. They did play together.”
Wenger also reiterated that the plan was for Henry’s loan to run until Feb 16, with an option to extend it until Feb 26.
The only disappointment for Arsenal on a memorable evening was the sight of Francis Coquelin limping off with a hamstring injury and further limiting Wenger’s options at full-back. Johan Djourou should return to provide extra defensive cover against Swansea on Sunday, but Wenger is still scouring the loan market for a short-term solution at left-back.