Arsenal unveil Arsene Wenger statue at Emirates Stadium

Arsenal, English Premier League (EPL) side, unveiled the statue of Arsène Wenger, their former manager, outside the club’s Emirates Stadium on Friday.

The North London side celebrated their 73-year-old legendary manager with a bronze statue outside a stadium he was instrumental in its conception and completion.

In the statue, Wenger is depicted carrying aloft the EPL trophy in his customary shirt and tie appearance.

Wenger’s statue is the sixth at the club ground, joining other club legends including Tony Adams, Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp.

Arsène ❤️ pic.twitter.com/jExR16njb4

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) July 28, 2023

The club said the statue was to celebrate Wenger’s “remarkable contribution” to the club he “transformed” and led to its “most successful period” while he was manager for 22 years.

“Arsenal Football Club is delighted to announce that a statue of our former manager Arsène Wenger has been unveiled at Emirates Stadium to commemorate Arsène’s truly remarkable contribution to our football club,” the statement reads.

“Arsène was our manager between October 1996 and May 2018, in which time he led the club to three Premier League titles, including an entire season unbeaten, seven FA Cup wins and 20 successive years in the UEFA Champions League.

“During Arsène’s 22 years at the club, he was manager of our men’s first team for an incredible 1,235 matches and led us through the most successful period in our history, transforming our identity with his vision for how the game was played, and has been identified to have created the ‘modern Arsenal’.

“The statue, created by Tim Guy, an award-winning sculptor, is 3.5 metres high and weighs approximately half a tone. It has been placed outside the North Bank stand of the stadium and is accessible to everyone.”

Wenger holds the enviable record of leading Arsenal to a record unbeaten season in the EPL, with the Gunners setting a 49-match unbeaten run record that remains unbroken.