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Wenger celebrates 100th European win with Ludogorets drubbing

Reuters

The "Wenger Out" crowd was noticeably silent Wednesday at the Emirates after Arsenal made a fool of Ludogorets in Champions League group stage action, and for good reason, as the host has won nine of its last 10 matches in all competitions.

While Mesut Ozil may be the hero with his first hat trick for the club in the 6-0 victory, Arsene Wenger was the recipient of an honour that places his name on an exclusive list of Europe's best.

With the win, Wenger has now been on the right side of 100 European fixtures, joining former Manchester United gaffer Sir Alex Ferguson (105) as the only manager to boast a century of continental victories. To put the magnitude of this accomplishment into perspective, only five men have managed 100 Champions League matches (Wenger, Ferguson, Carlo Ancelotti, Jose Mourinho and Mircea Lucescu).

Under the Strasbourg-born manager, Arsenal has qualified for the Champions League in 19 consecutive seasons.

A decorated 20-year career has witnessed Wenger win three Premier League titles and six FA Cups, though the only major honour to escape him is a Champions League trophy.

The closest Wenger and Co. have come was the 2006 final, when Sol Campbell's 37th-minute opener was cancelled out courtesy of second-half goals from Barcelona duo Samuel Eto'o and Juliano Belletti.

Perhaps this will finally be Wenger's year, after Wednesday's one-sided win sees the Gunners sit atop Group A on seven points with an eye on taking a Champions League group for the first time since the 2011-12 campaign.

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