Arsene Wenger will seek to guide Arsenal to a record 12th FA Cup triumph when they face Aston Villa on Saturday and become the most successful manager in the history of the grand old competition.
Yet as the Frenchman homes in on winning the trophy for the sixth time — one more than his former Manchester United sparring partner Alex Ferguson — Wenger promises the landmark does not concern him.
Pitted against famished Premier League opponents Villa, who are desperate for success after a 19-year trophy drought and faced a relegation battle this side, Wenger’s side are ready to retain the trophy they won last year against Hull City.
A sixth FA Cup win for Wenger would create a record in the modern understanding of a manager, though Villa’s manager/secretary George Ramsay oversaw six FA Cup victories between 1887 and 1920 and was the driving force behind their success.
Wenger has had the same kind of impact at Arsenal since he arrived in 1996, but says setting an individual landmark does not particularly bother him.
To do so, though, Wenger will have to get the better of Tim Sherwood, who helped secure Villa’s top flight status and has led them to a first FA Cup final in 15 years.
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