Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has admitted that he is surprised at how quickly time has passed as he approaches his 1,000th game in charge of the Gunners this weekend.

Wenger has presided over 999 matches since taking over at Arsenal in 1996 and the Frenchman said that he still has the same desire for success as he did nearly 18 years ago.

"It makes you feel 'where did the time go?'" Wenger told the club's official website. "It looks to me like I started yesterday, I can't believe it is such a long time.

"Why? Because you're always focused on looking forward to the next game and when you look back you think I made quite a distance there.

"Despite that, your only interest is the next game, our drug is the next game, the hope for the next game, the desire to win the next one."

Arsenal take on Chelsea on Saturday at Stamford Bridge, with a win moving them just a point behind the Blues.