Arsene Wenger points to Arsenal's Champions League record before he arrived to defend himself against critics

The Arsenal manager has managed in more Champions League matches that the club's entire history when he arrived in north London in 1996

Arsene Wenger played 17 Champions League matches before arriving at Arsenal, compared to the club's 10 (Getty)

Much of the recent criticism of Arsene Wenger has centred around Arsenal’s underwhelming European record, with a 5-1 defeat by Bayern Munich leaving the club on the verge of failing to reach the Champions League quarter-finals for an eighth successive season.

But Wenger has fought back over his record in continental competitions and reminded Arsenal fans that the club had little European pedigree before he took over in 1996.

Arsenal had played in just 10 European Cup fixtures prior to Wenger’s arrival, winning five of those.

Their only real continental success had come in the 1970 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, where they beat Anderlecht 4-3 in a two-legged final, and in the 1993–94 European Cup Winners' Cup, when they beat Parma.

However, after Wenger’s arrival, Arsenal’s participation in the Champions League, the most prestigious club competition in European football, became ever-present from the 2000-01 season onwards. The club even came within 15 minutes of winning the tournament in 2006, only for Barcelona to mount a stunning comeback through two late goals from Samuel Eto’o and Juliano Belletti, as Arsenal lost the match 2-1.

“As much as it hurts to lose games, if you look at the history of Arsenal, the club had less Champions League games when I arrived than I had in my career already,” Wenger was keen to point out in his press conference ahead of the fifth round FA Cup match against Sutton United, having taken charge of Monaco 17 times in the Champions League.

“And I hope in the future that we can win this trophy — or that Arsenal can win this trophy — but it’s not like before I arrived that Arsenal had won the European Cup five times. They had never won it. And they had played maybe 10 games in the history of the club. So you have to have some perspective.”

Wenger — who also said in the press conference that he will certainly be working in football management next season, whether that be at Arsenal or elsewhere — then reminded supporters that the club are not guaranteed success when he eventually decides to call time on his long career in north London.

“Even if I go, Arsenal will not win every single game in the future,” Wenger added.

“I did not work here for 20 years not to care about this club, because I have had many other opportunities to go somewhere else during that period.

“But I care about this club. I care about it’s future and it’s very important that this club is kept in safe hands, whether that is with me or somebody else.”