Wenger vs Top 5 Tottenham Managers

Football is an enormously competitive game at the highest level and while the contest is usually a healthy one, in some games it isn’t. DERBIES. The kind of games that define the premier leagues competitiveness more than anything. Games like these produce extraordinary performances from underdogs and are very unpredictable.

Ahead of this season’s first North London Derby in the Premier League, we take a look at the managerial facet of the fixture. Arsene Wenger has outlasted 10 Tottenham Managers since he took over 19 years ago. We take a look at 5 of the best he’s faced during his reign.

5. George Graham

We start off with an Ex-Arsenal Manager and Arsene Wenger’s predecessor. George Graham took charge of Tottenham on 1st October 1998 and guided Spurs to their first victory against the Gunners in over four years. That remained his only win against his former club in what was an ugly encounter at the lane with Spurs winning 2-0 and Freddie Ljungberg and Martin Keown getting sent off.

Record v Arsenal: Win 1 Draw 2 Loss 2

4. Martin Jol

Martin Jol is only the second Tottenham manager to have faced Arsenal 9 times during Wenger’s reign. Although he failed to register a single win against their arch rivals and many believe this was the only reason he was sacked. Jol’s first showdown with Wenger produced a classic north-London derby which Arsenal edged 5-4 at White Hart Lane. He went on to beat some of the top teams in the division but failed to defeat Wenger.

Record v Arsenal: Win 0 Draw 4 Loss 5

3. Andre villas boas

The Portuguese was considered to be the next Jose Mourinho but was shown the door at Stamford Bridge after a couple of months. Daniel Levy showed faith in him and it paid off quite well. He succesfully turned Gareth Bale into a beast and fetched the Lilywhites a world record transfer fee for him. But his spell too was short lived and he took charge of only 3 North London Derbies. His first was a 5-2 thrashing in the premier league which was marred by the infamous Emmanuel Adebayor red-card. His only win against Arsenal was a convincing 2-1 victory at white Hart Lane.

Record v Arsenal: Win 1 Draw 0 Loss 2

2. Juande Ramos

A somewhat succesful reign at White hart lane for the Spanish manager who was then considered to be the next big manager in football. But his time at Spurs only lasted for a year. His first meeting with Wenger’s Arsenal was a league cup semi final which he drew 1-1 at the Emirates stadium. But he won the return leg with an emphatic 5-1 scoreline and it still remains their biggest victory against the Gunners. It was their first victory against Arsenal in 9 years. He went on to win the League cup that season but was sacked the very next due to a poor start.

Record v Arsenal: Win 1 Draw 1 Loss 1

1. Harry Redknapp

The longest serving tottenham manager in modern times, Harry Redknapp was announced as an immediate replacement to Juande Ramos. Redknapp took charge on October 2008 when the club was in the relegation zone amassing just 2 points from their opening 8 fixtures. But he galvanized Spurs and snatched 10 out of a possible 12 points in the next set of fixtures, taking his side out of the relegation zone and finishing 8th. His first game against Arsenal was an exciting 4-4 draw at the Emirates which succesfully convinced many that the club was undergoing a positive transformation. He remains the only Tottenham manager to collect 3 wins against Wenger but also had his fair share of heavy defeats.

Record v Arsenal: Win 3 Draw 3 Loss 3