Shrugging off a leg injury, the 26-year-old France striker set up goals for Robert Pires and Freddie Ljungberg in the 2-0 win over Lokomotiv Moscow at Highbury on Wednesday.

If Ashley Cole's last-gasp winner against Dynamo Kiev was the turning point of a campaign that started disastrously for the English side, Henry's two-goal display in the 5-1 win at Inter Milan and his creativity on Wednesday provided the necessary coups de grace.

"He is a massive player because in a game like this when he did not have many opportunities, he provided the goals," Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said.

"That's why he is a big, big player. When he doesn't score he creates goals."

Henry should find out on Monday if he has secured the world player of the year award for the first time ahead of compatriot Zinedine Zidane and Brazilian Ronaldo.

His skill and commitment on Wednesday were typical of a determined Arsenal performance against Lokomotiv that was summed up by two first-half incidents.

First Henry charged the full width of the pitch with dazzling speed to close down a Lokomotiv player as the Russians sought to build a rare attack.

Seconds later the ball fell not far from goal between Arsenal defender Sol Campbell and Lokomotiv's Georgian striker Mikheil Ashvetia.

One mighty but entirely legal shoulder barge later, Campbell was clearing the ball with Ashvetia nursing a sore backside from his tumble.

Again the Highbury crowd rose to applaud the commitment of their team and by the end they were singing the name of their manager. "They know that I am a good player," Wenger joked.

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As group winners, Arsenal could still face a tough tie in February's knockout second phase, with potential opponents such as Bayern Munich and Deportivo Coruna.

"Three games ago we never thought it would happen so we must take it on from here," Wenger said. "We will take anybody."

Thanks to Inter's 1-1 draw at Dynamo Kiev, lucky Lokomotiv still managed to qualify despite a poor display in freezing conditions at Highbury that ought to have suited them.

The absence of gifted Russian international Marat Izmailov deprived their attacking play of any real guile but it was the lack of belief of the Russian side that was most striking.

"We are not as good as Arsenal as we don't have as many world class players," was the honest assessment of coach Yuri Syomin.

Izmailov should be back in February and having beaten Inter Milan 3-0 in Moscow earlier in Group B, Lokomotiv will command respect in the second phase.

But judging by Wednesday's display, their only route back into the Champions League next season -- by winning it -- is not likely to remain open for long.