Manchester United and Arsenal will lock horns in the Premier League this Sunday as one of English football’s biggest fixtures looks set to serve up yet more drama.
There’s currently some disparity between the teams, with the Red Devils in the lower reaches of the Premier League table and the Gunners sitting in second place.
However, Manchester United v Arsenal is the kind of fixture where the form book goes out of the window and anything can happen.
Indeed, the Red Devils beat the Gunners last time round, knocking them out of this season’s FA Cup at the third-round stage.
Arsenal legend David Seaman has now spoken about his two favourite personal memories from the fixture, during a time when both teams dominated English football.
He also looked ahead at Sunday’s fixture as he predicted the scoreline at Old Trafford.
David Seaman reminisces about 1990/91 fixture at Highbury and 2001/02 clash at Old Trafford
Seaman, speaking on the Seaman Says podcast, said his first favourite memory from the fixture was when they faced off on 6 May 1991.
Arsenal had not long retained the First Division title, so the Red Devils gave the Gunners a guard of honour before the latter won 3-1 against Sir Alex Ferguson’s side.
“So my first one was Arsenal Man United, but it was at the end of the season and, before we actually played them, we’d won the league,” said Seaman.
“I think Liverpool drew with Forest, so it meant that they couldn’t catch us, so before the game going out we got a guard of honour from Man United.
“My first time Arsenal v Man United so that was pretty epic! It was always going to be a big game and in a way it was a proper relief, because it was done.”
Seaman’s other favourite memory was in the 2001/02 season, when Arsenal sealed the title at Old Trafford on 8 May 2002.
“And then my other favourite one is when we won the league there, we beat him one nil, Sylvain Wiltord,” said Seaman.
“There like a little sketch, a little piece of footage on TV, where Sylvain scores the goal and he actually goes onto his knees and he’s holding his arms, and (Nwankwo) Kanu comes and jumps over his head.
“But on TV you can’t tell that Sylvain on his knees, it’s like he (Kanu) does a massive jump over the top of his head, it’s brilliant!
“So doing that, that was like a massive pressure game, you know to go there and know that if you beat them…
“I think we needed to draw or beat them and we beat them 1-0, won the league which was the double as well because we already played the FA Cup a few days before.”
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David Seaman backs Arsenal to defeat Manchester United
When asked about his prediction, Seaman went for Arsenal to record a 3-1 win over Man United.
He reckons the Gunners will concede a goal to Bruno Fernandes, though he felt Joshua Zirkzee could also have a chance.
What’s especially daunting for Man United fans is the fact that Arsenal won 7-1 at PSV in their midweek Champions League encounter.
Two of the key figures involved in Arsenal’s rise to prominence – Mikel Arteta and Per Mertesacker – were both initially signed as players after the Gunners lost 8-2 to Man United in 2011.
