Wenger 811: The numbers behind record-breaking Arsenal tenure

Arsene Wenger will claim another slice of Premier League history when he takes charge of Arsenal against West Brom on Sunday.

The 68-year-old has already matched Manchester United great Alex Ferguson on 810 matches as a manager in England's top flight and will break that record at the Hawthorns – interestingly, the very ground at which his old nemesis oversaw the final game of his career, a thrilling 5-5 draw with West Brom in May 2013.

 

MORE GAMES, MORE WINS THAN MOST

Wenger will move beyond Ferguson's record when he manages his 811th game on Sunday and it looks like his will be a tally that will take some time to surpass.

Ferguson still has the highest number of victories (528), giving him a win percentage of 65.2, above Wenger's 57.8. Indeed, Jose Mourinho, with a 63.3 per cent win rate from 270 games, has a more clinical record than the Frenchman.

Wenger's Arsenal have also managed fewer goals than Ferguson's United (1524 compared to 1627) in 810 matches.

 

FAVOURITE MANAGERS AND THE ONES HE'D RATHER AVOID

Of course, it hasn't all gone his way. Wenger only managed 10 wins in 34 meetings with Ferguson and has famously won only once in 14 attempts against Jose Mourinho teams. He has never beaten Jurgen Klopp, Pep Guardiola, Roy Evans or Roberto Di Matteo, to name a few.

 

Arsenal have won 145 of 219 games at the Emirates Stadium, giving them a 66.2 per cent win ratio. That's worse than they managed at Highbury under Wenger, where they won 134 out of 186 matches.

On the road, Goodison Park is probably Wenger's favourite, where he has managed a commendable 11 wins and five draws from 22 visits. Villa Park (10 wins from 19 and only two defeats) and The Valley (six wins from eight) are also enjoyable trips.

Games at Anfield, Old Trafford, Stamford Bridge and White Hart Lane have yielded only 18 wins from a possible 85, while he has managed six wins at the Etihad Stadium. His worst days out have come at Hillsborough, Valley Parade, Bramall Lane and Sunderland's old Roker Park: he has never won at any of them in the league.

 

Unsurprisingly, given his Goodison Park record, Everton are Wenger's favourite opponents. He has beaten them 28 times and lost only six of their 43 meetings, with a goal difference of +50.

 

A TASTE FOR THE TOFFEES, BUT LET'S FORGET OLD TRAFFORD

Sorry, Everton: when it comes to Wenger's record wins, once more, you're top of the pile.

For many years, Wenger's worst defeat was a 6-1 loss to Manchester United in February 2001. That was until August 28, 2011, when they suffered a humiliating 8-2 reversal at Old Trafford.