Wenger hits 810 to equal Fergie tally

SACRIFICE, headphones and Mars bars. Arsene Wenger’s 809 Premier League matches in charge of Arsenal summed up in four words. The Frenchman’s 810th comes against Crystal Palace tonight, an encounter that will see Wenger equal Sir Alex Ferguson’s record for the most Premier League matches as a manager. Wenger was at his most charming yesterday morning, holding court during his latest pre-match press briefing and reminiscing on the past 21 years. There was a thinly-veiled dig at Jose Mourinho as Wenger had his say about the Manchester United manager’s claims that he needs more money to spend despite splashing close to £300million at Old Trafford. In this mood you get the impression Wenger can go on for another 800 matches. The curtain might be closing in on his Arsenal career, but for now Wenger remains a constant in the kamikaze world of Premier League football. ‘I would have said, “You’re absolutely mad, no chance”, if you told me I would be in charge for 810 games after that game against Blackburn,’ said Wenger, referring to his first match in charge, a 2-0 win for Arsenal at Ewood Park in October 1996. ‘I remember when I was 33, 34, I thought, “I’ll never get to 60”. It’s Russian roulette, every game. So you think, at some stage, the trigger will hit you. So that’s absolutely unbelievable. I just remember in our first game I banned all the chocolate that the players had before the game. When we drove to Blackburn on the coach, the players chanted, “We want our Mars bars”. But now they have their music and headphones. It has changed, but overall it is more the decor that has changed. ‘The core of the game is the same. That means the spirit, quality on the pitch and human beings putting their effort together to achieve something. To be in charge for 810 games takes loyalty, dedication and hard work, the sacrifice of your life.’ Wenger has fought to keep Arsenal competitive in the era of Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, the Glazers’ takeover of Manchester United and, more recently, Sheik Mansour’s ownership of Manchester City. But unlike Mourinho, Wenger isn’t complaining. ‘I have been in that position for 21 years so I will not start to complain now,’ said Wenger. ‘There is always one team, sometimes four, who were richer than I was, so I learned to cope with that and to deal with that. People don’t want to know about a lack of resources, they want you to win the games. Your job is to get the best out of your team.’