On the same day that Arsene Wenger began work as Arsenal manager in 1996, 24-year-old centre-back Mauricio Pochettino played in Espanyol’s 2-0 defeat to Real Madrid.

Gerry Francis was the first of 11 Tottenham managers charged with the responsibility of delivering north London supremacy but Wenger has seen each one off in turn on his way to becoming the Premier League’s venerable elder statesman.

It is not a role he especially enjoys. “I’d prefer to be the youngest manager in the League but that’s part of life,” said Wenger last month, shifting a little uncomfortably in his seat as he was asked to reflect on his 67th birthday.

A period of introspection will form a key part of the Frenchman’s decision whether to sign a new contract.

Wenger is well remunerated and not without ego but he is also humble enough to continually ask himself whether he is capable of continuing to compete at the highest level.

The arrival of Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp and Antonio Conte has made this the era of the managerial messiah. Wenger’s longevity and breadth of achievement affords him respect the world over yet the challenge he faces is to thrive in this new dawn of progressive, younger innovate thinkers.

Pochettino recently labelled Guardiola as the “face of the change” but the Argentine has placed himself in the vanguard of this development with a hugely promising first two seasons in charge of Spurs.

Harry Redknapp’s Tottenham side pushed Arsenal to the brink but Pochettino represents the gravest threat to Wenger’s hegemony.

In Pictures | Arsene Wenger's 22 years at Arsenal 23 show all In Pictures | Arsene Wenger's 22 years at Arsenal 1/23 The Arsene Wenger years... Ian MacNicol/Getty Images 2/23 1996/97: Wenger takes over at Highbury After much speculation Arsenal appoint Wenger, their first manager from outside the UK



Premier League: Third



FA Cup: Fourth Round



Uefa Cup: First Round Stu Forster/Allsport/Getty Images 3/23 1997/98: Wenger at the double Arsenal win the double in Wenger’s first season in charge, following their 1971 success



Premier League: Champions



FA Cup: Winners



Uefa Cup: First round Ben Radford/Allsport/Getty Images 4/23 1998/99: So close but Man United taste glory Wenger ends the season trophyless after twice being pipped by Alex Ferguson



Premier League: Second



FA Cup: Semi Finals



Champions League: Group stage Matthew Peters/Manchester United via Getty Images 5/23 1999/00: Off the pace Arsenal finish well behind Manchester United in the league and exit Europe at the hands of Fiorentina



Premier League: Second



FA Cup: Fourth Round



Champions League: Group stage Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images 6/23 2000/01: Cup final heartbreak Michael Owen strikes late to end their FA Cup dreams but the signing of Robert Pires heralds a bright new era for Arsenal



Premier League: Second



FA Cup: Finalists



Champions League: Quarter final Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images 7/23 2001/02: Double double Wenger wins his second league and cup double as Arsenal win their last 13 league games



Premier League: Winners



FA Cup: Winners



Champions League: Second group stage Shaun Botterill/Getty Images 8/23 2002/03: Cup no consolation Man United overhaul Arsenal in a season where the FA Cup is not enough for this side



Premier League: Second



FA Cup: Winners



Champions League: Second group stage John Peters/Manchester United/Getty Images 9/23 2003/04: Invincibles Arsenal go unbeaten throughout a league season, the first side to do so since the 1880s



Premier League: Winners



FA Cup: Semi-finals



Champions League: Quarter finals Arsenal FC via Getty Images 10/23 2004/05: End of an era Arsenal win the FA Cup in Patrick Vieira’s final season while Chelsea emerge as their new rivals



Premier League: Second



FA Cup: Winners



Champions League: Round of 16 Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images 11/23 2005/06: Highbury farewell Arsenal nearly crown their last season at Highbury with victory in the Champions League but are forced to settle for runners-up to Barcelona and Wenger’s lowest league finish



Premier League: Fourth



FA Cup: Fourth Round



Champions League: Finalists Shaun Botterill/Getty Images 12/23 2006/07: Hard times ahead In his final season at the club Thierry Henry led a youthful side to a creditable fourth place but the gap to Chelsea and Manchester United seemed to be growing



Premier League: Fourth



FA Cup: Fifth Round



League Cup: Finalists



Champions League: Round of 16 Clive Mason/Getty Images 13/23 2007/08: Injuries cost the Gunners A horrifying leg break for Eduardo against Birmingham in February curtailed a season that had seen Arsenal challenge for the title



Premier League: Third



FA Cup: Fifth Round



Champions League: Quarter finals Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images 14/23 2008/09: Spending big again Samir Nasri and Andrey Arshavin arrived in big money deals but a poor start left Arsenal well off the pace domestically



Premier League: Fourth



FA Cup: Semi finals



Champions League: Semi finals Alex Livesey/Getty Images 15/23 2009/10: Progress stalled An impressive squad was hampered by injuries to the likes of Robin van Persie, Tomas Rosicky and Cesc Fabregas as success continued to elude Wenger



Premier League: Third



FA Cup: Fourth Round



Champions League: Quarter finals Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images 16/23 2010/11: Birmingham Blues Six years without a trophy became seven as a calamitous mix-up between Laurent Koscielny and Wojciech Szczesny saw Birmingham win the League Cup final



Premier League: Fourth



FA Cup: Sixth Round



League Cup: Finalists



Champions League: Round of 16 Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images 17/23 2011/12: Van The Man Robin van Persie provides excitement on his way to 37 goals and the Golden Boot before departing for Manchester United in the summer.



Premier League: Third



FA Cup: Fifth Round



Champions League: Round of 16 David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images 18/23 2012/13: Earning their Spurs Arsenal hauled in their local rivals, cutting a seven point gap in 10 games, to secure their customary Champions League spot



Premier League: Fourth



FA Cup: Fifth Round



Champions League: Round of 16 Ian MacNicol/AFP/Getty Images 19/23 2013/14: World-class talent brings trophies back The arrival of Mesut Ozil brought excitement to the Emirates and a season that saw Arsenal mount a major title challenge ended with an FA Cup trophy



Premier League: Fourth



FA Cup: Winners



Champions League: Round of 16 Shaun Botterill/Getty Images 20/23 2014/15: Further progress on and off the pitch Alexis Sanchez added more world class talent but Arsenal were once more forced to settle for cup and not league success



Premier League: Third



FA Cup: Winners



Champions League: Round of 16 David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images 21/23 2015/16: By a nose Arsenal disappointed in the title race as Leicester held their nerve for a stunning triumph, but there was late joy for the Gunners as they celebrated St Totteringham's Day due to Spurs' late collapse.



Premier League: Second



FA Cup: Fifth Round



Champions League: Round of 16 David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images 22/23 2016/17: The toughest season yet Wenger faced fan mutiny as his side failed to keep pace with the top six. Though as ever they turned it around in the closing months of the season it was too little too late as they fell short of the top four for the first time in the Frenchman's reign.



An FA Cup win over Chelsea eased the pressure somewhat as Wenger and the Arsenal board agreed a two-year deal to keep the Frenchman in charge.



Premier League: Fifth



FA Cup: Winners



Champions League: Round of 16 Adam Davy/PA 23/23 2017/18: The end A slow start in the Premier League only got worse in the new year, where Arsenal lost all of their first eight Premier League games on the road. With the top four slipping further away Wenger announced he would leave at the end of what ended up as his worst season at the club.



Premier League: Sixth



FA Cup: Third Round



League Cup: Finalists



Europa League: Semi-finals PA 1/23 The Arsene Wenger years... Ian MacNicol/Getty Images 2/23 1996/97: Wenger takes over at Highbury After much speculation Arsenal appoint Wenger, their first manager from outside the UK



Premier League: Third



FA Cup: Fourth Round



Uefa Cup: First Round Stu Forster/Allsport/Getty Images 3/23 1997/98: Wenger at the double Arsenal win the double in Wenger’s first season in charge, following their 1971 success



Premier League: Champions



FA Cup: Winners



Uefa Cup: First round Ben Radford/Allsport/Getty Images 4/23 1998/99: So close but Man United taste glory Wenger ends the season trophyless after twice being pipped by Alex Ferguson



Premier League: Second



FA Cup: Semi Finals



Champions League: Group stage Matthew Peters/Manchester United via Getty Images 5/23 1999/00: Off the pace Arsenal finish well behind Manchester United in the league and exit Europe at the hands of Fiorentina



Premier League: Second



FA Cup: Fourth Round



Champions League: Group stage Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images 6/23 2000/01: Cup final heartbreak Michael Owen strikes late to end their FA Cup dreams but the signing of Robert Pires heralds a bright new era for Arsenal



Premier League: Second



FA Cup: Finalists



Champions League: Quarter final Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images 7/23 2001/02: Double double Wenger wins his second league and cup double as Arsenal win their last 13 league games



Premier League: Winners



FA Cup: Winners



Champions League: Second group stage Shaun Botterill/Getty Images 8/23 2002/03: Cup no consolation Man United overhaul Arsenal in a season where the FA Cup is not enough for this side



Premier League: Second



FA Cup: Winners



Champions League: Second group stage John Peters/Manchester United/Getty Images 9/23 2003/04: Invincibles Arsenal go unbeaten throughout a league season, the first side to do so since the 1880s



Premier League: Winners



FA Cup: Semi-finals



Champions League: Quarter finals Arsenal FC via Getty Images 10/23 2004/05: End of an era Arsenal win the FA Cup in Patrick Vieira’s final season while Chelsea emerge as their new rivals



Premier League: Second



FA Cup: Winners



Champions League: Round of 16 Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images 11/23 2005/06: Highbury farewell Arsenal nearly crown their last season at Highbury with victory in the Champions League but are forced to settle for runners-up to Barcelona and Wenger’s lowest league finish



Premier League: Fourth



FA Cup: Fourth Round



Champions League: Finalists Shaun Botterill/Getty Images 12/23 2006/07: Hard times ahead In his final season at the club Thierry Henry led a youthful side to a creditable fourth place but the gap to Chelsea and Manchester United seemed to be growing



Premier League: Fourth



FA Cup: Fifth Round



League Cup: Finalists



Champions League: Round of 16 Clive Mason/Getty Images 13/23 2007/08: Injuries cost the Gunners A horrifying leg break for Eduardo against Birmingham in February curtailed a season that had seen Arsenal challenge for the title



Premier League: Third



FA Cup: Fifth Round



Champions League: Quarter finals Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images 14/23 2008/09: Spending big again Samir Nasri and Andrey Arshavin arrived in big money deals but a poor start left Arsenal well off the pace domestically



Premier League: Fourth



FA Cup: Semi finals



Champions League: Semi finals Alex Livesey/Getty Images 15/23 2009/10: Progress stalled An impressive squad was hampered by injuries to the likes of Robin van Persie, Tomas Rosicky and Cesc Fabregas as success continued to elude Wenger



Premier League: Third



FA Cup: Fourth Round



Champions League: Quarter finals Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images 16/23 2010/11: Birmingham Blues Six years without a trophy became seven as a calamitous mix-up between Laurent Koscielny and Wojciech Szczesny saw Birmingham win the League Cup final



Premier League: Fourth



FA Cup: Sixth Round



League Cup: Finalists



Champions League: Round of 16 Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images 17/23 2011/12: Van The Man Robin van Persie provides excitement on his way to 37 goals and the Golden Boot before departing for Manchester United in the summer.



Premier League: Third



FA Cup: Fifth Round



Champions League: Round of 16 David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images 18/23 2012/13: Earning their Spurs Arsenal hauled in their local rivals, cutting a seven point gap in 10 games, to secure their customary Champions League spot



Premier League: Fourth



FA Cup: Fifth Round



Champions League: Round of 16 Ian MacNicol/AFP/Getty Images 19/23 2013/14: World-class talent brings trophies back The arrival of Mesut Ozil brought excitement to the Emirates and a season that saw Arsenal mount a major title challenge ended with an FA Cup trophy



Premier League: Fourth



FA Cup: Winners



Champions League: Round of 16 Shaun Botterill/Getty Images 20/23 2014/15: Further progress on and off the pitch Alexis Sanchez added more world class talent but Arsenal were once more forced to settle for cup and not league success



Premier League: Third



FA Cup: Winners



Champions League: Round of 16 David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images 21/23 2015/16: By a nose Arsenal disappointed in the title race as Leicester held their nerve for a stunning triumph, but there was late joy for the Gunners as they celebrated St Totteringham's Day due to Spurs' late collapse.



Premier League: Second



FA Cup: Fifth Round



Champions League: Round of 16 David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images 22/23 2016/17: The toughest season yet Wenger faced fan mutiny as his side failed to keep pace with the top six. Though as ever they turned it around in the closing months of the season it was too little too late as they fell short of the top four for the first time in the Frenchman's reign.



An FA Cup win over Chelsea eased the pressure somewhat as Wenger and the Arsenal board agreed a two-year deal to keep the Frenchman in charge.



Premier League: Fifth



FA Cup: Winners



Champions League: Round of 16 Adam Davy/PA 23/23 2017/18: The end A slow start in the Premier League only got worse in the new year, where Arsenal lost all of their first eight Premier League games on the road. With the top four slipping further away Wenger announced he would leave at the end of what ended up as his worst season at the club.



Premier League: Sixth



FA Cup: Third Round



League Cup: Finalists



Europa League: Semi-finals PA

His brand of high-octane football achieved with an exciting alchemy of young, emerging talent gives Spurs an attractive allure rather closer to home than many Arsenal fans would like.

Many of those supporters critical of Wenger in recent times have bemoaned the decision to persevere with him while allowing Klopp, Guardiola and others to redefine other clubs.

The stability versus stagnation argument in standing by Wenger created a rift in Arsenal’s fanbase that only a first title in 13 years can truly end.

And so among the many subplots to Sunday’s north London derby at Emirates Stadium is Wenger’s battle to prove he is not yesterday’s man. Arsenal’s start to the season bodes well.

Having finally invested significantly to add depth to his squad, Wenger’s team are unbeaten in all competitions since the opening day and have survived a flurry of injuries which in previous years would have compromised their ability to compete.

Ever willing to evolve, perhaps Wenger has drawn a degree of inspiration from the high-pressing methods favoured by the current managerial hipsters. Alexis Sanchez’s conversion as a centre-forward has enabled Arsenal to press the ball with greater intensity than when Olivier Giroud leads the attack while Granit Xhaka’s arrival finally adds some midfield steel to the attacking options.

Yet Spurs remain unbeaten in the League and appear more defensively resolute. Frustration at results against West Brom and Leicester inject caution into the optimism surrounding the club but with work well under way on a new stadium and Pochettino tied down to a long contract along with the vast majority of key players, the future looks extremely encouraging. One of the greatest tricks Sir Alex Ferguson continually pulled off at Manchester United was to reinvent himself with sufficient regularity to stave off newcomers. Perhaps now more than ever — especially given there are now no excuses over financial constraints — Wenger (and, incidentally, Jose Mourinho, too) faces the biggest test of his ability to do the same.

November has traditionally been a difficult month for Arsenal but what a fillip it would be if Wenger can begin the month by improving his record of just one defeat from seven meetings with Pochettino (two wins, four draws) and against Mourinho (one win from 15 meetings) at Manchester United.

Age is one number Wenger can do nothing about but its perception as a strength or weakness can still be shaped.