Arsenal and Manchester United play out one of the Premier League's most iconic fixtures on Sunday, and one figure with a special place in the folklore has had his say on the rivalry
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David Beckham of Manchester United in action against Nigel Winterburn of Arsenal during the FA Charity Shield match against Arsenal played at Wembley Stadium in London, England
Nigel Winterburn was once at the heart of a 21-man brawl between Arsenal and Manchester United
(Image: Mark Thompson /Allsport)
Arsenal legend Nigel Winterburn has lauded the unique intensity of their rivalry with Manchester United.
The Red Devils are gearing up for their visit from the Gunners, with the mouth-watering clash taking place at Old Trafford on Sunday at 4.30pm. Ruben Amorim's team are currently sat in 14th, having won only nine of their 27 games so far this term, and are in real need of a positive result.
Arsenal, meanwhile, are clinging to a sliver of hope they could still contend for the Premier League title. Mikel Arteta's team is perched in second place, 13 points behind Liverpool with a game in hand. But Winterburn – who donned Arsenal's colours 584 times between 1987 and 2000 – grew accustomed to a much closer contest from the red half of Manchester during his time as a player.
The three-time league champion faced United on 37 occasions – more than any other team in his career – and was embroiled in a notorious 21-man brawl in October 1990. It was Winterburn's rash challenge on Denis Irwin that ignited a melee involving all but one player on the pitch, leading the FA to dock points from both clubs, which remains the only time the body has done so due to player conduct.
Discussing the rivalry, he told football.london, courtesy of William Hill: "I don't like the word hate. 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 and 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."
Manchester United and Arsenal players fight on the pitch during the Barclays League Division One match at Old Trafford
A rash challenge on Denis Irwin sparked the October 1990 melee
It's widely acknowledged the fracas at Old Trafford marked the beginning of the intense rivalry between United and Arsenal that blossomed in the 1990s and 2000s. Arteta's team has already secured a victory over United this season, with Ruben Amorim's squad exacting their revenge in January by ousting Arsenal from the FA Cup.
A triumph on Sunday would see Arsenal defeat United both home and away for the second consecutive season, highlighting the Gunners' current rare dominance in this historic rivalry. They've also managed to beat north London rivals Tottenham twice this campaign.
Former Arsenal and West Ham defender Nigel Winterburn
Winterburn made 584 appearances for Arsenal and won three league titles
Despite Spurs' own dip in form, Winterburn doesn't downplay the significance of that derby either, adding: "The north London rivalry is huge. 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."