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 Sunday.
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. Wenger has said that the Arsenal board were at best brave, at worst crazy, to hire him in 1996. 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.
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