As Frenchman prepares for 811th league game in charge to overhaul Sir Alex Ferguson it will sharpen focus on his legacy and who will eventually succeed him
Behold, the age of Arsène. The past few years of Arsène Wenger’s extended Arsenal farewell have brought something new, a gradual piling up of gongs and garlands that have little to do with trophies won or goals scored but speak instead to his extreme, unyielding longevity. Longest-serving Arsenal manager. Longest-serving manager in Europe. As Wenger ticks these marks off like some stately old slugger gamely rounding the bases, tipping his cap to the bleachers, there is a feeling of end times about this.
In July Wenger edged past Sir Alex Ferguson as the longest-serving manager in Premier League history, reeling in the Scot’s tally of 7,582 days. And now, five months on, he is back to finish the job. When Arsenal travel to West Bromwich Albion on New Year’s Eve Wenger will take charge of his 811th league game as the Arsenal manager, overhauling Ferguson again to take top spot on games managed and stand alone at the head of the field in the modern era.
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The stadium is practically Wenger-shaped, its pillars and columns and looming concrete facades coloured an austere Wenger grey
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