Former Arsenal defender Nigel Winterburn has underlined what makes the rivalry with Manchester United so special.
The Gunners travel to Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon with a glimmer of hope that they could still challenge for the Premier League title, but also in need of three points to ensure those below them don't close the gap. Mikel Arteta's side currently sit second in the table and 13 points off Liverpool with a game in hand, while the Red Devils are languishing in 14th.
Winterburn – who made 584 appearances for Arsenal between 1987 and 2000 – knows the rivalry all too well. The former left-back played more games against United than any other club (37) and was part of a 21-man brawl in October 1990 that went down in English football infamy.
In fact, it was Winterburn's wild tackle on Denis Irwin in the second half of that clash – which Arsenal won 1-0 – that sparked a scrap involving all but one of the players on the pitch. The FA took the unique decision to deduct points from both teams as a result, and Winterburn broke down their relationship heading into Sunday's reunion.
"I don’t like the word hate," he exclusively told football.london, via William Hill, when asked if his animosity for the Red Devils runs deeper than his dislike of Arsenal's north London rivals Tottenham. "Looking at Manchester United, there was a huge rivalry during my time. I describe it as two juggernauts going head to head, no one going to give an inch and it would be explosive.
"Other supporters would want to watch the games between Arsenal & Manchester United as it would be an entertaining game and something big would happen. You knew how big the game was and didn’t want your key title rival to get one over you."
A fight breaks out on the pitch between the Arsenal and Manchester United players during the Barclays League Division One match at Old Trafford in Manchester
Gunners great Winterburn was at the heart of their brawl with United in October 1990 (Image: Russell Cheyne/Allsport)
It's widely accepted that melee at Old Trafford was the origin point of the Arsenal and United rivalry that flourished during the 1990s and 2000s. The two clubs often found one another in competition for titles during that time, though United's fall from grace means that's not as often the case these days.
Arteta's side have already beaten United once this season, though Ruben Amorim's men clinched their revenge in January by knocking Arsenal out of the FA Cup. A win on Sunday would make this the second season in a row that Arsenal have managed to beat United home and away, illustrating how far ahead the Gunners have moved in the rivalry of late.
Former Arsenal and West Ham defender Nigel Winterburn
Only four other players have made more appearances for Arsenal than Winterburn (Image: Shaun Botterill /Allsport)
They did the same by beating north London nemeses Tottenham twice this term. And while Spurs have also tumbled down the table in recent times, Winterburn by no means undervalues that head-to-head, either.
"The north London rivalry is huge," he continued. "You don’t want to get beat when you play them and you want the fans to go home happy when you play Spurs so they get the bragging rights each time you play them.
"Naturally there is a dislike for them as they are your nearest London rivals. And being part of Arsenal, you know as players what it means to play in the north London derby and how big of a game it is."
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Arsenal Manager Mikel Arteta, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Jesus with the Arsenal Therapy Dog Win during the Arsenal Men's team group shoot at London Colney on September 18, 2023
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