MANCHESTER UNITED versus Arsenal tends to stir up more memories than most other Premier League matches – and Gary Neville has joined the party.
The former defender turned pundit, who spent his entire career with the Old Trafford club, has picked a best Arsenal XI from players he played against during his time with Manchester United.
Keep up to date with ALL the Premier League news, gossip, transfers and goals on our club page plus fixtures, results and live match commentary
The rivalry was particularly fierce in the later 1990s and early 2000s – and Neville was heavily involved most of them.
They saw the Gunners pick up titles in 1998, 2002 and 2004, during a period which saw the two teams dominate English football.
Neville‘s defence is fairly predictably the impenetrable force of Arsene Wenger‘s greatest team, but adds more and more foreign influences as he goes towards the attack.
Explaining his picks Neville said: “Where it really became a fierce rivalry was in the late 90s, early 00s, when both teams were going neck-and-neck for the league.
related stories
“We both had fantastic teams, and the competitive spirit of those games was immense. They’ll go down in folklore.”You had a group of Arsenal players, particularly that famous back five, who knew what it meant to play for Arsenal.
“They handed it down to the likes of Vieira, and the other players like Henry, who were picked up but still exposed to the real culture of Arsenal.
"Arsenal are the best domestic team I've ever faced. The 1998 team, the double-winning team, were immense.
"It had everything you would want; power, strength, pace, organisation, good on set pieces, you couldn't mess them around and they could play good football.
"I would always want Bergkamp in, he was just an amazing player, and then you're choosing between Ian Wright and Thierry Henry.
"They're both brilliant players, but you have to go for Thierry Henry with his achievements."
Wenger is sweating on the fitness of Alexis Sanchez, while Theo Walcott is set to miss out of the match altogether for the Gunners if his pregnant wife goes into labour.
Manchester United have injury doubts of their own, along with Zlatan Ibrahimovic who is out through suspension.
But do you agree with Neville's greatest team? Comment below. The teams face each other at 12:30.
Leave a comment