Port Vale in rare company as one of Arsene Wenger’s bogey sides
Opta Joe, the official Twitter account for Opta Sports say Vale are in the same company as CSKA Moscow, Fiorentina, PAOK Solonika and Paris St Germain.
According to Opta Joe, the Valiants are one of just five teams that Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has faced more than once and failed to beat.
The Valiants played Wenger’s Gunners side twice back in 1998. Vale’s first game went comparatively unheralded as they held Arsenal side (featuring Seaman, Winterburn, Bould, Vieira, Overmars, Petit, Parlour, Anelka and Bergkamp) 0-0 at Highbury stadium.
The replay is more well-known as highlights were shown on ITV later that night. The Gunners took the lead through Denis Bergkamp (widely regarded as one of the best goals by an opposing player at Vale Park) before Wayne Corden scored a memorable equaliser. However, Vale lost out in a penalty shootout with luckless Allen Tankard missing the decisive spot-kick. It means Vale exited the cup but the result after 120 minutes of a draw stands on the record meaning Vale have an unbeaten record against Wenger’s Arsenal.
Those are the only time that Vale have face Wenger meaning that they join CSKA Moscow, Fiorentina, PAOL Solonika and Paris St Germain as one of the five teams to be unbeaten multiple times against Arsenal.
The tweet is below:
2 – CSKA Moscow are one of just five teams that Arsene Wenger has faced more than once with Arsenal and failed to win against (also Fiorentina, PAOK Salonika, PSG and Port Vale). Bogey. pic.twitter.com/i2iKj6IzfD
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) March 16, 2018
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