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Arsenal's manager Arsene Wenger - Source: Reuters -
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Arsene Wenger becomes the longest-serving Arsenal manager on
Thursday, celebrating 13 years at the club he has transformed from
one of the best in England to one of the best in the world.
Although Arsenal have not won the Champions League during his
reign, or any silverware for the last four seasons, they are never
far from the major honours and are sure to be heavily involved in
the trophy hunt again this season.
After losing two successive Premier League matches at Manchester
United and Manchester City, Arsenal have won five games since and
should be too strong for Blackburn Rovers when they visit the
Emirates Stadium.
Victory would keep Arsenal among the early pace-setters, with
second-placed Chelsea playing Liverpool, in third, also on
Monday.
Wenger said this week Arsenal took a huge gamble in appointing him
13 years ago, when the London Evening Standard newspaper famously
greeted his arrival with the headline; "Arsene Who?"
It did not take long for those who had not heard of his
achievements with AS Monaco and Nagoya Grampus Eight to find out
who he was as he led the club to the FA Cup and Premier League
double in his first full season in charge in 1997-98.
Arsenal have won the Premier League title twice since and another
FA Cup and League double in 2002 while their "Invincible" team were
unbeaten in the league in 2003-04.
Glory days
They have also moved from their homely Highbury ground to the
60,000-capacity Emirates Stadium and now play a brand of exciting,
attacking football not seen since the glorious era of the
1930s.
"Wenger has said that the Arsenal board were at best brave, at
worst crazy, to hire him in 1996.
"When you work abroad it is never easy because, frankly, they do
not need you. It is difficult to put into context today because now
every foreign manager arrives on a red carpet. It was not like that
when I arrived.
"They (Arsenal) needed to be, maybe not crazy, but certainly brave.
However I believe I was lucky to find the support I found at
Arsenal and that is always important for success."
He added: "I also believe we have the potential here for more
success. We have a young team and they have a hunger and great
spirit to do well."
Old rival
The only Premier League manager who has currently served longer
than Wenger is his old rival Alex Ferguson at champions Manchester
United, who moved to the top of the table for the first time this
season last weekend.
United continued their winning run with a 2-1 home success over VfL
Wolfsburg in the Champions League on Thursday, though they lost
Michael Owen with a groin strain.
They host Sunderland at Old Trafford on Sunday and could open up a
three-point lead, albeit for just 24 hours, over second-placed
Chelsea who face third-placed Liverpool at Stamford Bridge on
Monday.
Liverpool were badly off beam in their Champions League defeat by
Fiorentina while Chelsea also looked a bit flat, though did secure
a 1-0 win at APOEL Nicosia.
At the other end of the table, bottom-placed Portsmouth will be
hoping to avoid becoming the first top-flight team since Manchester
United in 1930-31 to lose their opening eight league matches of the
season when they visit Wolverhampton Wanderers.
