Manchester United-Arsenal brawl in October 1990
Nigel Winterburn has lifted the lid on Manchester United's rivalry with Arsenal and the infamous brawl of October 1990
Former Arsenal defender Nigel Winterburn has hailed the intensity of his old club's rivalry with Manchester United.
The Gunners face off against the Red Devils at Old Trafford on Sunday and make the trip hoping to keep their Premier League title dreams alive. Mikel Arteta's men sit 13 points behind Liverpool in second but have a game in hand, while United are struggling in 14th.
Winterburn, 61, represented Arsenal on 584 occasions from 1987 to 2000 and is well-versed in the sparks that can occasionally fly between the clubs. He played more matches against United than any other club (37) and was part of an infamous 21-man brawl in October 1990.
In fact, it was his aggressive tackle on Denis Irwin during that match, which Arsenal won 1-0, that ignited a fight involving almost every player on the pitch. This led to the FA deducting points from both teams - a first that has yet to be repeated since.
"I don't like the word hate," Winterburn told football.london, courtesy of William Hill, when asked about his dislike of the Red Devils. "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."
It's generally agreed the brawl at the Theatre of Dreams sparked the rivalry between Arsenal and United, which thrived during the 1990s and 2000s. The two clubs frequently found themselves vying for titles throughout this period, although United's decline means this is less common nowadays.
Manchester United and Arsenal players fight on the pitch during the Barclays League Division One match at Old Trafford
All but one player got involved in the infamous October 1990 brawl at Old Trafford
Arteta's team have already defeated United once this season, but Ruben Amorim's squad exacted their revenge in January by eliminating Arsenal from the FA Cup. A win on Sunday would mean the Gunners have beaten United at home and away for the second straight season, highlighting the Gunners' recent dominance in the rivalry.
They achieved a similar feat by defeating north London rivals Tottenham twice this term. And despite Spurs' recent slump, Winterburn doesn't underestimate the importance of the local rivalry.
Former Arsenal and West Ham defender Nigel Winterburn
Winterburn played a critical role in sparking the scuffle nearly 35 years ago
"The north London rivalry is huge," he added. "You never want to lose when you play them and you want the supporters to leave happy when you play Spurs so they can boast about it each time you face 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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