Arsene Wenger reflects on Pizzagate, feeling sorry for Sol Campbell and the pain of losing to Barcelona as record-breaking Arsenal boss prepares for his 811th Premier League game

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Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger will end 2018 as the most experienced manager in Premier League history.

The 68-year-old Frenchman, who began his Gunners reign in 1996, will break Sir Alex Ferguson's 810-game record for the highest number of Premier League matches managed after his side visit West Bromwich Albion on New Year's Eve.

Speaking to Sky Sports — who showed him footage to jog his memory — Wenger reflected on his 21 years in charge, recalling his first game, Pizzagate, the Champions League final, signing Thierry Henry and selling him, while also looking to the future.

Arsene Wenger looked back on his 21 years as Arsenal manager as he closed in on a PL record

Sky Sports gave Wenger an iPad so he could watch some of the events he was describing

On his first game as Arsenal manager — October 1996

'My first game at Blackburn. There's a young Pat Rice and Gary Lewin next to me! And me thinking, "What's going on?" there, certainly looking a bit lost.

'It was a happy experience because we won the game.'

On signing Sol Campbell from rivals Tottenham for free — July 2001 

'It was very quiet at the beginning, between me and David Dean. We kept it quiet until this handshake basically.

'I felt sorry for him after that, because he was treated badly sometimes, and Sol is a very sensitive man and intelligent man. He was a huge signing for us.'

Wenger controversially signed Tottenham captain Sol Campbell on a free transfer in 2001

Campbell received a lot of hateful abuse from Spurs fans and Wenger felt sorry for the player

 On buying Thierry Henry from Juventus — August 1999 

'I think that was 1999. A top signing for the club, with Patrick Vieira just before. Henry became a huge success.

'He was intelligent, extremely talented, focused on football and completely motivated. He's still in the game, working for you! That shows how passionate he was about the game. All that you dream to have when you're a football player.'

(When asked to rank Henry among Arsenal's greatest under Wenger): 'No you don't do that because it's like in your family, I ask do you prefer this son?

'Was he one of the most talented? Certainly, yes. But who is the best of the best? Can you compare a defender to a striker? Your heart is always bleeding when you have to rule some others out.'

On Henry leaving for Barcelona — June 2007  

'He told me, "Look, we have a young team, we cannot win the Premier League. I'm 31, I need to go, I need to win, and I cannot wait for the young players to be good enough".'

Wenger described France's Thierry Henry, who joined from Juventus in 1999, as a 'top signing'

Henry left Arsenal in 2007 after telling manager Wenger: 'We cannot win the Premier League'

On winning the title at White Hart Lane and then ending the Premier League season unbeaten — April/May 2004

To go through a whole season unbeaten is something really exceptional. This team was special.

'They were not conscious of the importance of not losing after we were champions with five games to go.

'I pushed them really to go for it and not lost a game until the end.'

Wenger sealed his third Premier League title when Arsenal drew at White Hart Lane in 2004

On Arsenal's unbeaten run ending in defeat at Old Trafford followed by Pizzagate — September 2004

'49 games [unbeaten]. This was the 50th — 'Pizza-gate'. Bad refereeing on the day, we were really unlucky, because when (Fredrik) Ljungberg went through he was stopped by Rio Ferdinand (and nothing was given).

'It was a battle and to be fair it was a good game. United played well, we played well. If at the time you could lose it in some way, it was at Old Trafford.

'It was a fight after the game, yes. It was a brawl in the corridor, you know Old Trafford is not big and it's quite tight. Cesc (Fabregas) threw the pizza somewhere, I don't think he wanted to throw it at (Sir Alex) Ferguson! But by coincidence it landed on Alex.

'From then, this was a real pain. We were at a peak, and suddenly we came down to earth. We were unbeatable and suddenly you feel vulnerable again. It was difficult to pick the team up after that.'

Arsenal went 49 games unbeaten in the Premier League before losing a bad tempered game

On losing to Barcelona in the Champions League final — May 2006

'Very painful experience, because Jens (Lehmann) got sent off at the start of the game. We played against Barcelona and we had not conceded a goal in the whole campaign. And we were 1-0 up until 13 minutes to the end, with 10 men, against Barcelona, and we lost 2-1.

'(Samuel) Eto'o and (Juliano) Belletti scored. Overall it was a painful experience because to play with 10 men, and not have the luck to play a final 11 v 11, against Barcelona, was a very painful experience.'

Wenger described losing the 2006 Champions League final as a 'very painful experience'

Barcelona beat Arsenal in Paris after goalkeeper Jens Lehmann was sent off during the contest

On 2018

'What does that hold? That's the answer we have to give, starting on Saturday.

'With luck, I got confidence off people at the club, and that is difficult to keep for such a long time. I was also spoilt with quality players.

'If I give myself one merit, maybe it's that I work very hard. I dedicated my life completely to this job.'

On 2018, Gunners boss Wenger said: 'What does that hold? That's the answer we have to give'