Arsene Wenger claims Arsenal can win the Premier League with 82 points… But how many times would that tally have been enough in his 20-year era?
We crunch the numbers to determine just how often the score would be enough to get your hands on the top flight trophy
ARSENE WENGER revealed on Monday that 82 points would be enough to clinch his Arsenal side the Premier League title in 2016-17.
The French boss, 67, was speaking during the Gunners' Annual General Meeting - setting his side the very specific target.
Wenger said: “I believe we have a compete team in a very competitive league.
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“If you look now it is 20 points which means the championship will be decided between 82 to 86 points and what we have learnt since the start of the season is every game is a fight and you need absolutely to be at your best to win."
In a season where after nine game, the top five teams are separated by just one point, perhaps Wenger has crunched the numbers and will end up being spot on how.
However, we have looked into the details ourselves and found out that during the Arsenal chief's 20 years in charge at Highbury and the Emirates, 82 points would have been enough on just SIX occasions.
And to add to the misery, 82 points would have been enough on only TWO of the last 15 seasons - with the other four in Wenger's first five seasons at the club - including when Arsenal won the league in 1997-98, with 78 points.
Along with the 1998 Gunners, Man United in the French boss' first season - 1996-97 - won the league with just 75 points, while the Red Devils won the title again in 1999 with 79 points.
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The 2000-01 United squad won the league with just 80 points - with the same team doing the same in 2010-11.
Finally, there's last season's surprise package Leicester who won the league with 81 points to their name.
At the other end of the spectrum, Chelsea won the league in 2004-05 with a whopping 95 points, while the 90-barrier has been broken five times in Wenger's 20 years in England.
Either way, if Arsenal are to win the league, the odds suggest Wenger and Co may need more than 82 points to get their hands on the crown for the first time since 2003-04.