Walking in a Wenger wonderland

The game began with an own-goal, which is exactly what most people thought Arsenal had scored when they appointed Arsene Wenger at the beginning of last season.

But despite the cries of Arsene Who?, the doubts about a professorial Frenchman strolling the marble halls, the cries of shame at the sudden sacking of Bruce Rioch, there was always something prophetic about a man called Arsene managing Arsenal. Now, if anyone were bothered, the cry would be "Bruce Who?"

"Names come and go," Wenger said then. "But people remember those who bring results. Judge me by my work."

Yesterday they did, 38,000 singing about a "Wenger Wonderland" and the man himself letting his mask slip as he lifted the trophy. He should smile more often. It suits him. "I thought I had to keep my emotions until now in case we did not win the title after coming from behind so well," he said. "That would have been disastrous. But now, winning this is, I think, my best achievement in football."

Wenger was quick to pay tribute to the directors who had shown faith in his appointment. Len Shackleton once wrote a book which included a blank page to emphasise what he felt football directors knew about football, but this time the Arsenal board deserved every word of praise.

"I'm proud to be the first foreigner to win the championship," said Wenger. "I know how difficult it is to win. This is one way for me to repay the confidence that the directors had in me because they had to be brave against what people thought."

The people were thinking only delirious thoughts as the players did a second lap of honour, as Ian Wright sprayed champagne over the fans, as Patrick Vieira emphasised the fabulous team spirit which Wenger described as "the star of the season" by acting as a crutch for Emmanuel Petit as he hobbled round the pitch with a badly gashed leg.

It was no laughing matter, however, when Arsenal were 13 points adrift of Manchester United. Wenger felt the title was out of reach. "Yes, I really thought we couldn't win it then. Of course I didn't say it but I thought even a Champions League place was beyond us."

Yesterday Alex Ferguson said Arsenal were worthy champions. "They deserve to win it after the way they've done the business," the United manager said. "Any team that wins the league has to be congratulated because it's such a hard league to win."

Howard Kendall, a two-times title winner with Everton in the 1980s, could only watch his side slump bad-temperedly nearer relegation. Defeat in their final game against Coventry would see them drop from the top flight for the first time.

"Our confidence is really low, and we've got to pick ourselves up," Kendall said. "But even then it depends on Bolton's result at Chelsea. What we don't want is for Chelsea to go out in their flipflops like they have been doing in recent games."

Wenger's thoughts were also moving ahead, not just to the FA Cup final: "I am going out tonight to dinner and having a good French wine."

The Arsenal fans had been chanting: "Are you watching, Tottenham?" Certainly the bedraggled arch-rivals would have been looking on enviously. When Christian Gross held his first press conference at White Hart Lane, he seemed a man out of his depth. When Wenger held his, he appeared to be a man of depth. And so it has proved.