Report: Wenger, Arsenal reach agreement for 2 more years
Arsene Wenger reached an agreement with Arsenal majority shareholder Stan Kroenke on Monday to stay with the club for another two years, according to BBC Sport's David Ornstein.
An official announcement of the long-serving manager's new contract is expected Wednesday, with the news relayed to directors in Tuesday's end-of-season board meeting. His previous deal lasted until the end of June.
Wenger has faced widespread criticism in the media and from sections of the Gunners' fan base due to dubbing the top flight's Champions League places as an award akin to silverware, and his personal lack of tactical flexibility. Arsenal limped out of the Champions League Round of 16 for the seventh consecutive season, got turfed from the League Cup quarter-finals by Southampton, and finished outside the top four in the Premier League for the first time since 1996.
A refreshing change of tact by Wenger in the latter stages of the season, however - changing the formation from a 4-2-3-1 to a 3-4-2-1, and inspiring more physicality from his ranks - sparked an upturn in form which culminated in Saturday's deserved 2-1 win over Chelsea in the FA Cup final.
It was his seventh triumph in that competition but, tellingly, a Premier League trophy has alluded Arsenal since its unbeaten season in 2003-04, and there appears be no evidence of improvement continentally since it was defeated in the Champions League final in 2006. By dropping into the Europa League next season, fans will hope that can change.
Wenger new 2-year contract: his 21st anniversary as #afc manager is Oct.
— Nick Harris (@sportingintel) May 30, 2017
36: PL players used in 2016-17 who weren't born when he took over.
Wenger is the longest-serving active manager in England's professional leagues, beating second-placed Paul Tisdale of Exeter City by 10 years.