David de Gea may have only increased the tension going into Manchester United's huge tie away at Arsenal on Sunday after he referred to Gunners icon Arsene Wenger as 'that guy from Arsenal'.
The Spaniard made the odd comment while previewing the upcoming meeting between the two teams at the Emirates. De Gea discussed the idea of whether Arsenal and United can reignite a feud that was so intense during the respective reigns of Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson.
In what is a testament to the shot-stopper's longevity, De Gea is the only player likely to take the field at the Emirates that featured in this same fixture when Wenger and Ferguson were in charge of the two clubs.
Eight points separate the two at the moment as Arsenal occupy top spot while United sit fourth, with Sunday's contest feeling like the biggest the pair have enjoyed for quite some time.
Pressed for comment on whether Arsenal and United can play out a rivalry similar to the one seen more than a decade-and-a-half ago, De Gea admitted: "I hope so, we’re talking about one of the best managers in history, Sir Alex, and the guy from Arsenal.
"It's different eras, different football, football has changed a bit, but let’s see. Both managers are really good now, they’re playing well and it’s going to be a nice game.
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"Both teams have always been massive clubs, great teams, always playing to win trophies. So, it’s nice to play now when both teams are in a good shape and playing well."
Arteta may look to use De Gea's flippant 'the guy from Arsenal' comment as fuel for further motivation, especially considering how highly the Spaniard personally thinks of his former manager.
Current United boss Erik ten Hag has enjoyed the best start to life of any Red Devils manager in the post-Ferguson era as well as becoming the quickest boss in the club's illustrious history to reach 20 victories.
As for Arteta at Arsenal, he has guided the Gunners to the top of the Premier League boasting a five point advantage over nearest challengers Manchester City. This is undeniably the strongest the Gunners have looked since Wenger's departure in 2018.
The rivalry shared between Arsenal and United between the late nineties and early noughties is the stuff of Premier League legend and, while the pair have declined drastically from what they were since those days, there are signs of life in both London and Manchester that both are on the right path once again.
