Arsene Wenger: 4 remarkable achievements every Arsenal fan would cherish 

#4 Stadium of (their) his own

Arsene Wenger oversaw the transition from Highbury to Emirates Stadium

In the summer of 2006, Wenger oversaw Arsenal’s relocation from Highbury to the newly constructed Emirates Stadium. This was a vital move to the club’s financial future as it would also help them to attract the best players. However moving to a new stadium has its fair share of problems and the club prioritised financing the stadium over the team.

Financial difficulties saw Wenger sell some of his experienced players like Campbell, Lauren, Pires, & Cole and brought in young players like Theo Walcott, Fabregas & Senderous into the first team. The experience of the side was there to see as they reached the final of the League Cup in 2007 with an average age of 21 years. This was the youngest average age of a team playing in an English Cup Final.

The Emirates Stadium is a house which Wenger built. It’s impact on him was, however, overwhelmingly restrictive and consumed all his energy during the most challenging years of his reign. Arsenal’s move to Emirates was supposed to be a start, a start which would see them compete with Europe’s elite. But what has transpired since has not gone as per the plans.

Nevertheless, there’s no manager in the modern era anywhere in the world so associated with a stadium. Arsenal had wanted to expand beyond a 48,000 capacity anyway, but that was a much more logical decision when they had a team who were at that exact point playing the kind of attacking football that was making them amongst the most admired sides in the world.

Wenger himself offered direct inputs and ideas for the design of the area. It also meant the stadium blueprints bear Wenger’s imprint. That unique football mind really is ingrained in the ground’s very design, to go with what was seen on the pitch. The Stadium is the ultimate testament to Wenger’s influence on the club and the irony is that it is also a major reason for the struggles of his second decade at the club.

Nevertheless, Wenger the man will always be remembered as a Club Legend who changed the face of football worldwide.