A former Arsenal star has lifted the lid on the aggressive atmosphere in Arsene Wenger’s squad of Invincibles – and revealed how he once squared up to Gunners legend Thierry Henry during a particularly heated clash.
The French manager oversaw one of the north London club’s finest eras during his 22-year tenure, with Wenger’s squads achieving two double-winning seasons and their unmatched, unbeaten season in 2003-2004.
In the early 2000s, the squad with replete with players whose names would pass into Arsenal folklore, including Henry and his compatriot Patrick Vieira, Dennis Bergkamp and Martin Keown.
Bentley came through the Arsenal academy before linking up with the senior side in 2001.
Although the player spent a number of seasons on loan – first at Norwich City, then at Blackburn Rovers – his entry into the first-team dressing room was a baptism of fire, with the then-teenager thrust into a heated atmosphere at the club’s Colney training ground.
Arsenal experienced a period of triumph in the early stages of Arsene Wenger’s tenure – in part due to an ultra-competitive atmosphere
David Bentley (centre) came through the Arsenal academy to take up a place on the first team
But what the then-teenager found was a dressing room full of punchy personalities (in 2004)
‘You talk about personalities. No chance,’ Bentley told Undr The Cosh podcast. ‘You’ve got Ray Parlour – loves it, lunatic, beautiful man.
‘Then you’ve got Martin Keown, Dennis Bergkamp’s an animal – he’d kick the c*** out of everyone.
‘Giovanni van Bronckhorst – I used to come up against him and I’d come away with black eyes and bloodied eyes, he used to elbow the life out of me.
‘Fights. Pascal Cygan against Kolo Toure was the best fight I’ve ever seen on the training ground. Two animals going at each other. To try to break them up we needed the whole team. Vieira stamping on me.’
But Bentley was quick to admit a moment of his own hot-bloodedness, when going toe-to-toe with France superstar Thierry Henry.
The pair were playing against one another in a highly competitive seven-a-side training game organised by Wenger, and Bentley described how, during a heated exchange, he saw red with Henry.
‘I squared up to Thierry Henry, ripped off my gloves, (said) “Come on, let’s have it.” What they did – Wenger, (assistant manager) Pat Rice and the coaching staff – was put on seven-a-sides everyday.
‘The dressing room was more concerned about winning the seven-aside tournaments than the game on Saturday. It was hell for leather and it was just slide tackles and fighting. Especially in the last game, that’s where I squared up to Thierry, bless him. I would have got a good hiding as well!’
Thierry Henry was the focus of Bentley’s ire during a particularly feisty training session
Martin Keown was another player that had a close encounter with Bentley during their time on the pitch together
Bentley also reminisced about a close encounter with Keown, after he ribbed the star over his age.
‘Worst thing I could have done,’ Bentley added. #The ball then came in, and I was shielding it, he grabbed me by the neck and threw me from behind.
‘My shirt was ripped, and I’m going “Gaffer! Pat!” and they’d say, “get on with it!”
Bentley was adamant that the high-intensity atmosphere was critical to Arsenal’s unbeaten success – and over 20 years later, current manager Mikel Arteta has appeared keen to create his own unique culture within his title-chasing squad.
The current Gunners manager has raised eyebrows with his unusual coaching methods, which have included playing You’ll Never Walk Alone in training sessions ahead of facing Liverpool, and hiring sleight-of-hand illusionists to pick his players’ pockets at a team dinner to teach them the lesson of alertness.
