Gibbs: Wenger deserves more credit years later

Former Arsenal left-back Kieran Gibbs says that Arsene Wenger did not fully receive the recognition he deserved in his final years. Gibbs believes Wenger consistently kept the Gunners in the top four, and that this achievement was not noticed enough at the time.

Today, many big clubs are in the middle of the table or in an even worse position, which makes the value of that consistency more visible. Chelsea finished 12th in 2023 and 8th in 2026. Manchester United finished 15th in 2025. Tottenham finished 17th in two consecutive seasons, and last season they faced the threat of relegation. Among the reasons for this is the sharp rise in the share of broadcast revenue that Premier League clubs receive compared with other domestic leagues.

Wenger's last Premier League title came in the 2003/04 season with the unbeaten squad. Even so, Arsenal did not drop out of the top four until the last two seasons of Wenger's time in charge. In those two seasons, the club finished 5th in 2016/17 and 6th in 2017/18.

After Wenger left, the club went through a difficult period before recovering. Gibbs's message is that long-term stability is not easy to achieve, and it is often only understood in hindsight.