Arsène Wenger celebrates his twelfth anniversary in charge of Arsenal this weekend - in all probability by watching highlights from the Dutch Eredivisie before the main event of the Primera Liga match between Atlético Madrid and Seville from Spain - but he will not allow himself a moment of reflection. The good news for Arsenal fans is that Wenger is planning for many more years at the club that has defined his career, although some may be alarmed to hear the manager's belief that he could yet be sacked.

Wenger's achievements in bringing three league titles and four FA Cups to Arsenal, as well as providing the vision that took the club to their new home, should be enough to guarantee a job for life, but he is under no such illusions. Although planning for the long term, the Frenchman accepts that he could be asked to leave at any moment and is determined to make the most of his position while he has the opportunity.

“The longer I stay, the more difficult it becomes to envisage leaving,” Wenger said. “I know one thing - you have to prepare yourself. You have to work inside the club like you spend your whole life there but accept as well the idea it can stop from one minute to the next.

“But that is basically what life is as well - you expect to live for 100 years, but you can die from one minute to the next. I once said to my wife, 'At 55 I stop, I promise you.' And at 55 I said 60 and now I don't speak any more.”

Arsenal began the season with some of their fans muttering about lack of transfer activity after three years without winning a trophy, but, with four victories from their first five Barclays Premier League matches, they appear to have erased any doubts as to the wisdom of Wenger's unique vision. A win over Hull City today would consolidate their position at the top and reinforce Wenger's belief that his young team can take the title this season.

“I'm not very happy to speak about my anniversary because what interests me in life is what is in front of me and not what is behind me,” he said. “If you came to my house you would not find anything from the last 12 years because I'm only interested in what's happening in the future. I believe there is great potential in this team.

“I don't even know where those trophies and mementos are. I am interested in history, but not my history. It's something strange. I'm always oriented forward, forward, forward. I also believe that is part of the sickness of this job, as you know what you've done is forgotten and what is important is what happens tomorrow. You spend your life worrying about the future and are always expecting the next game, the next game and the next game. It becomes something almost perverse. It takes over your brain completely and you never take time to look back.”