1 October 1996 - With That Name, He Had To End Up There Sooner Or Later

On 1 October 1996, Arsène Wenger officially took charge as manager of Arsenal. He would go on to become recognized as one of the best managers in football, becoming the first (and to date only) non-British manager to win the English Double and the first Premier League manager to go a full season undefeated.

Wenger was born in Strasbourg, France on 22 October 1949. He enjoyed a brief and undistinguished playing career as a sweeper for FC Mulhouse (1973-75), ASPV Strasbourg (1975-78), and RC Strasbourg (1978-81) before moving into management as an assistant with AS Cannes in 1983.

He received his first full mangerial position with Ligue 1 side AS Nancy in 1984. He stayed there for only three seasons, the last of which ended with the club being relegated to Ligue 2. In 1987, he moved to AS Monaco, where he earned his first managerial honors, winning Ligue 1 in his first season. His Monaco side also won the Coupe de France in 1991.

Wenger left Monaco in 1994 after the club's board denied him permission to speak with Bayern Munich about their managerial vacancy. In 1995, he went to Japan to manage Nagoya Grampus Eight and in 1996 his side won both the Emperor's Cup and the J-League Super Cup.

He moved to Arsenal in 1996 after the London club sacked previous manager Bruce Rioch. His first match in charge was a 2-0 Premier League away win over Blackburn Rovers on 12 October 1996. Arsenal finished in third place that season, but secured Wenger's record-setting Double the following season, winning both the Premier League and the FA Cup in his first full season in charge.

He won a second Double in the 2001-02 season, then won the league again in 2003-04 without losing a match.

19 August 1995 - The Dutch Master Debuts

On 19 August 1995, striker Dennis Bergkamp debuted for Arsenal in a 1-1 home draw against Middlesbrough.

Arsenal manager Bruce Rioch lured the Dutch international away from Inter, who had signed him from Ajax in 1993 for a transfer fee of £12 million, making him the second-most expensive footballer in the world at that time. His two seasons in Italy were unsuccessful, however, and Arsenal was able to purchase him for the relative bargain of £7.5 million.

A three-time Eredivisie top scorer during his time with Ajax, Bergkamp did not score for the Gunners until his seventh match, a 4-2 home win over Southampton on 23 September 1995. He quickly resumed his former proficiency in front of the goal, however, and notched 120 goals in 411 appearances for Arsenal before retiring after the 2005-06 season.

He earned a number of personal honors while playing for the North London side, including the English PFA Player of the Year award in 1998, a third-place finish in FIFA Player of the Year voting (1997), and two Premier League Goal of the Season awards (1998, 2002).

20 June 1995 - The Non-Flying Dutchman Lands In London

On 20 June 1995, Arsenal signed Dutch striker Dennis Bergkamp from Inter for a fee of £7.5 million.

Nicknamed "the Non-Flying Dutchman" due to his fear of flying, Bergkamp was a product of the Ajax youth academy and played for the Amsterdam senior side from 1986 to 1993, helping them to the Eredivisie title (1989-90), the KNVB Cup (1987, 1993), the European Cup Winners Cup (1987), and the UEFA Cup (1992). In total, he scored 122 goals in 239 matches for Ajax and was voted Eredivisie Player of the Year in 1992 and 1993.

In 1993, he was signed by Inter for £12 million. He helped them win the UEFA Cup in 1994, but never settled in with the team or the Italian style of play. Over his two seasons in Milan, he scored only 10 goals in 50 appearances before being being signed by Arsenal manager Bruce Rioch in the summer of 1995. Inter president Massimo Moratti, unhappy with the £4.5 million loss, reportedly claimed "They will be lucky if he scores 10 goals this season."

And indeed Bergkamp's Arsenal career started slowly. He made his debut on 19 August 1995 against Middlesbrough, but did not score until his seventh match. He finished the season with 16 goals in 43 appearances. His Arsenal career truly began to flourish, however, with the arrival of manager Arsène Wenger in September 1996 and he was a key member of the Invincibles, Arsenal's unbeaten league side of 2003-04.

In all, Bergkamp made 411 appearances for the Gunners, scoring 120 goals. With Bergkamp, Arsenal won three Premier League titles (1998, 2002, 2004) and four FA Cup trophies (1998, 2002, 2003, 2005). He retired from playing after the 2005-06 season.