Arsene Wenger vs Sir Alex Ferguson: As Arsenal boss prepares to overtake old foe's Premier League record, how do the managerial legends stack up?

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This week is a big one in the career of Arsene Wenger, as he equals old rival Sir Alex Ferguson's record for the most Premier League games managed.

The Arsenal boss takes his side to Crystal Palace on Thursday night for his 810th outing, and then the visit of Chelsea on January 3 will take him into the outright lead.

But how do the two old foes compare with one another? Here, Sportsmail takes a look back at their records, signings, legacy, entertainment value and more... 

Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson had plenty of battles in a 17-year Premier League rivalry

Trophies

Arsene Wenger

Seven FA Cups is a magnificent achievement, but Arsenal's recent struggles have taken the gloss off of winning English football's oldest competition. 

Now, Gunners fans want more. They want Premier League titles again; it has, after all, been 13 years since they last won one.

Wenger has three of those to his name, the most memorable coming in the 'Invincibles' season of 03-04, where his side didn't lose a game on the way to winning the title. 

Since then, though, it's been a little underwhelming and the Gunners are slipping further and further away from the biggest honour in domestic football. 

Rating: 6/10 

Wenger last won a Premier League title in 2003-04 and his side have been slipping away

Sir Alex Ferguson

Ferguson's trophy haul is near-miraculous, and will surely never be matched in the current climate. Managers come and go so frequently nowadays that no boss is ever likely to reach even a tenth of the success the Scotsman had at Old Trafford.

He won 13 Premier League titles in the space of 27 years in charge, his first coming in 1993 and the last in his final season of 2012-13. That Manchester United have failed to come close since says a lot about the pedigree of Ferguson.

In this category, there is just no comparison.

Rating: 9.5/10 

Ferguson's title record is unparalleled and no manager is ever likely to get anywhere close

Signings

Wenger

As with all managers in the history of world football, there have been good and bad signings in the career of Arsene Wenger. Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira are up there as two of the best, helping the Frenchman transform the fortunes of the club.

Kolo Toure is another particular highlight; he was plucked from nowhere in the Ivory Coast, before Wenger watched him in a trial, signed him and turned him into one of the best defenders in Premier League history.

In recent years, the super spending of other clubs around Arsenal have detracted from his transfer record. Although signings such as Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil have shone through, they have only been possible when Wenger is afforded a bigger budget. A recent lack of spending is not really his fault.

In truth, when Wenger goes big on a player, it very rarely goes wrong. 

Rating: 7.5/10

Patrick Vieira and Thierry Henry were top signings who transformed Arsenal under Wenger

Ferguson

The budget was always there for Fergie; he managed the biggest club in world football, and if he wanted a player, he usually got them.

Plenty of his purchases were fairly standard, in comparison with Wenger's. While Wenger turned Henry from a winger into a striker and plucked Vieira from nowhere, Ferguson was keeping things simple.

If his club were lacking a striker, they bought a striker, and they spent big. Robin van Persie from Arsenal, Teddy Sheringham and Dimitar Berbatov from Tottenham... the list goes on.

There were gems with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, and bringing Wayne Rooney in at such a young age from Everton. But Wenger just about nicks this category. 

Rating: 7/10 

Robin van Persie was one of Ferguson's bigger signings, plucking him from rival Wenger

Promoting youth

Wenger 

Through the years, there are names you can pick out to demonstrate the excellence of Arsenal's academy, and the fine eye of manager Wenger.

Ashley Cole and Cesc Fabregas have gone on to major success both with Arsenal and elsewhere, and they are players that credit a lot of their success to Wenger. Fabregas still holds the record for the youngest first-team appearance in the club's history. 

In more recent years, Jack Wilshere and Hector Bellerin have both been blooded in the Arsenal academy, before being plucked out by Wenger to become first-team stars. 

Bellerin was found in the Barcelona academy, while Wilshere joined at the age of nine and worked his way up through each level of the academy. Wenger deserves credit for finding these gems. 

Rating: 7.5/10 

Wenger deserves credit for finding gems such as Ashley Cole and turning them into stars

Ferguson

Three words: Class of 92. In truth, there is only one winner in this category, and it comes solely down to the work of Ferguson and former coach Eric Harrison in bringing through some of the best players in United's recent history.

Gary and Phil Neville, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, David Beckham and Nicky Butt all came through the academy in the same year, and went on to the very highest level both on the club stage and at international level.

Right until his final years at United, the Scotsman was keen to blood young players, and despite Wenger's impressive finds, Ferguson wins.

Rating: 9/10 

The Class of 92 make this category a no-contest... they became the life-blood of United's team

Entertainment on the pitch

Wenger

When Wenger retires - and who knows when that will be - he will surely want fans to look back and think, 'you know what, we played good football.'

'The Arsenal way' was coined because of him, and down the years the Gunners have always played out from the back, with pace, power and strength.

Tiki taka football at Highbury, and the same at the Emirates... Wenger will always be known as a manager who promotes 'proper' football.

Rating: 8.5/10 

Arsenal under Wenger are renowned for playing 'proper football', out from the back

Ferguson

These days at Old Trafford, there is plenty of talk about parked buses. Under Jose Mourinho, United are looking to perfect a defensive style of football and it's totally different to the old days of Ferguson.

Chants of 'attack, attack, attack' reverberate around the ground, as fans think back to the forward-thinking nature of their old boss.

Remember 'Fergie Time'? So many late goals, so much late drama. For that, Ferguson must be commended. It wasn't always beautiful like Wenger and Arsenal, but it was always exciting.

Rating: 8.5/10 

'Fergie Time' was coined due to United's regular late winners and drama right at the death

Entertainment off the pitch

Wenger

Even after 22 years as Arsenal manager, there is still a quip here and there, a comment that leaves you with a wry smile on your face.

Just this week, Wenger took aim at Mourinho's moaning, a sly dig that makes headlines but doesn't get him into hot water with any governing bodies. He knows what he's doing.

That said, it's never really over the top, it's never overly controversial, and you wouldn't go out of your way to subscribe to Arsenal TV just to watch the Frenchman in his press conference on a Thursday morning. 

Rating: 6/10

Just this week, Wenger took aim at Jose Mourinho's moaning with a sly press conference dig

Ferguson

Although Fergie always had a soundbite in him - 'Football, bloody hell' - he is perhaps better known for his fractious relationship with the media.

He didn't speak to the BBC for years, he banned journalists from his press conferences, and he made assistant boss Mike Phelan speak to the media when he just didn't fancy it.

But there were always mind games. His feud with now-Newcastle boss Rafa Benitez has gone down in history and he was always good value and worth watching away from the touchline.

Rating: 6.5/10 

Ferguson regularly made then-assistant boss Mike Phelan take on media duties post-match

Legacy 

Wenger

Although tainted in the last few years, Wenger has done so much for Arsenal that it is difficult to say anything bad about him.

He is the reason they are able to play in a shiny big stadium, moving from Highbury to the Emirates in 2006, and he has brought so much success during his 22 years.

In fact, perhaps that is his undoing, because the success came so early that now some sections of the support have turned against him. There has not been a Premier League title for 13 years and Arsenal are slipping down the league.

It is a sorry state of affairs, because the longer he goes on, the harder it is to arrest the slide. Football is changing. For now, his legacy remains, but Wenger will have to be careful if he is to carry on in the coming years. 

Rating: 7/10... for now.

Wenger has transformed Arsenal, and is the reason they have their huge Emirates Stadium

Ferguson

When Fergie left Manchester United, the club was so ingrained in his image that it was near-impossible for any manager to take over and be successful. Just speak to David Moyes and Louis van Gaal.

The club demands success, and that is down to Fergie and the trophies he brought them. In truth, he left the club in a poor situation, with an ageing squad that needed to be rebuilt and would take time... and that has been proven in the years since.

But he is the best manager ever to grace English football, and that is never likely to change. 

Manchester United are still the most powerful football club in the world, even after a few underachieving seasons, and that is solely down to Sir Alex Ferguson. 

Rating: 9.5/10 

Ferguson is the best manager ever to grace the Premier League, and that is unlikely to change