‘Blame ME for Battle of Old Trafford’ Arsenal legend recalls the brawl with Manchester United | OneFootball

Legendary left-back Nigel Winterburn won three Premier League titles with Arsenal during 13 glory years at the club.

One of his defining matches was a one-nil win away to Manchester United in October 1990 which is best remembered for a mass brawl which followed a tackle he made on fellow defender Denis Irwin.

Arsenal were docked two points and United one in the fall out. Winterburn and manager George Graham’s ultimately emerged better off as they won the Premier League, losing only one match all season.

The veteran of 584 Arsenal appearances, speaking as an ambassador for William Hill recalled: “I think you’ll find that I think there was a little bit of a misdemeanour before I even joined with, bless his soul, David Rocastle.

“I don’t know whether that is true. Listen, I haven’t gone back and looked so far because it doesn’t worry me. If you want to blame me, it’s quite alright. I don’t mind.

“Those battles were immense. They became so powerful. The best way I’d describe it in the end was two juggernauts, both believing they were better than each other.

“Neither one of us would give an inch and we were prepared to clash head on. That usually meant that there was going to be something that happened in the games – and it usually did.

”If something happens in the game this weekend, it’ll probably get a little bit spicy because of the history that’s gone by but probably not with the same intensity.

“We have dropped away in the league but Mikel Arteta will be telling his players not to give up just in case there is a chance,

“There’s huge history between the two clubs. There’s a lot of pride at stake. You want to go to Old Trafford, home of one of the best teams in Premier League history, if not the best, and you want to beat them. It’s not your issue that they’re having so many problems.

“Ruben Amorim will see this as a chance to start to get some momentum going forward for Man United and rather than hear a lot of people talking about this is the worst team that they’ve seen for a long, long time. You certainly don’t want to be sitting in a Man United team with those sort of sayings hanging over your head.”

Now a popular pundit and still working closely with his former club, Winterburn remains upbeat about Arsenal’s prospects under manager Mikel Arteta.

He concluded: “We’ve made progress, massive progress over the last three seasons. If you asked me four or five years ago, if Arsenal would be challenging for the title, for three years in a row – and I do realise this season it is all but Liverpool’s now – I probably would have doubted you.

“We have made huge progress. But with progress comes bigger scrutiny and expectation from the supporters and we’re seeing that. Particularly this season.”