Arsenal established themselves as sustained challengers to Manchester United as Premier League top dogs following the arrival of Arsene Wenger in 1996 – and the rivalry led to some truly wonderful barbs.
Arsenal came fifth under Bruce Rioch in 1995-96 but immediately improved to finish third under Wenger the following year before winning the Double in the Frenchman’s first season in charge.
United, who had won the title in both 1996 and 1997, recovered to win the next three titles and it appeared Sir Alex Ferguson had seen off yet another challenger – Arsenal finished 18 and then 10 points behind in 2000 and 2001 – but Wenger’s Gunners were not moving and won two of the next three titles, famously going a full Premier League season unbeaten in 2003-04.
Roman Abramovich buying Chelsea changed the landscape at the top of English football and dampened the Arsenal-United rivalry somewhat as Jose Mourinho arrived to f*ck sh*t up, but the nine years between 1996 and 2005 provided us with some of the most memorable games in Premier League history between the two teams.
And, wonderfully, some absolutely hilarious comments from the two managers about the other…
Fergie on the new man
Wenger was unknown to many when he took the Arsenal job in 1996, leaving Nagoya Grampus Eight in Japan to do so, but he quickly captured the imagination of the media with his continental approach to management.
Ferguson, however, was less than impressed with the fawning over the new man: “They say he’s an intelligent man, right? Speaks five languages? I’ve got a 15-year-old boy from the Ivory Coast who speaks five languages.”
Japan
It got even better in this Sky Sports interview in which Fergie made quite clear his feelings on Wenger’s credentials to be trying to change English football: “He’s no experience. He’s come from Japan and he’s now telling everybody in England how to organise their football.”
Wenger back to Japan would surely need Ferguson’s approvalpic.twitter.com/AS9zLQVeqh
— Adam Hurrey (@FootballCliches) May 28, 2019
More Japan
Fergie really had a bee in his bonnet about Wenger arriving from Japan.
“Arsene Wenger has been in Japan. He doesn’t know anything about English football and the demands of our game.”
Separate: “He’s a novice. He should keep his opinions to Japanese football.”
Used to be a big club
In April 1997, United were waiting to hear whether the Premier League would agree to extend the season to ease…
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