Patrice Evra has joked that he used to call Arsenal his 'babies' while playing for Manchester United as they were so easy to beat.
United travel to the Emirates on Sunday afternoon in another huge Premier League clash. Should Erik Ten Hag's side do what no other team has done this season and leave North London with a win, then the Reds will close the gap among the three leading horses to just five points.
Arsenal have picked up a reputation for being somewhat confrontational this season, typified by a number of FA fines the club have received for failing to control their players during games. That, plus the quality of both sides going into Sunday, has given the meeting a feel of past times when both would consistently challenge for titles.
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But despite the fierce rivalry through the Sir Alex Ferguson vs Arsene Wenger years, former left-back Evra - who lost only four of his 21 games against the Gunners - recalls meetings between the two being much easier.
"I always used to love playing against Arsenal," Evra said in a video on his Instagram. "I respect Arsenal and I respect their history but I used to call them my babies because every time I played against them it was such an easy game and we were always beating them.
"Arsenal are on fire. I think they deserve to win the league, the way they're playing, the way they played the last game against Tottenham, they look like a proper team. But the one thing that can stop them is Manchester United, and they know this is the only team that will beat them."
Victory at the Emirates will close the gap between the top three and hand United a huge psychological boost, having beaten Manchester City the previous weekend. Arteta and Pep Guardiola still have to meet twice between now and May, potentially allowing the Reds to make up further ground.
"If we win against them, we need to start thinking about winning the league," Evra added. "Because I'm so proud about the team, so proud of Ten Hag. We're back, we have structure, discipline, we play for the badge and we play for the fans, finally. That's why I'm not afraid to say Manchester United is back!"
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