Day we walked the Manchester streets …and then walked away with the title
‘HOW dare you walk the streets of Manchester!’ That was the cry of a United fan who spotted the Arsenal squad as we took a stroll around the city one night in May 2002, before my most satisfying trip to Old Trafford. We arrived in Manchester having just won the FA Cup, knowing that victory over the Premier League champions would see us clinch the Double. Arsene Wenger would treat these clashes with United like any other game and the pre-match walk was part of our preparations. When that fan shouted at us, we simply smiled back. We all thought: ‘Not only are we walking in your city, but we’re also going to walk away with your title.’ To win in United’s back yard — never mind win the Premier League — seemed unthinkable in those days. Away teams never got a penalty there and it felt like everything was stacked against us. On one trip, we were woken up at 4am when the hotel fire alarm went off. Another time, the building site next to where we were staying started raising a crane at 6am which sounded like Big Ben. In 2002, we were without Thierry Henry. We were confident of avoiding defeat but thought we might need to beat Everton that weekend to finish the job. Underpinned by the massive belief Wenger instilled, we entered the ultimate lion’s den and won. United tried to kick us off the park but we were having none of it. Sylvain Wiltord struck the only goal and we were champions. Sir Alex Ferguson came into our dressing room to congratulate us. After winning the Double in 1998 we endured three years of disappointment: losing the Cup semi-final to United in 1999, the UEFA Cup final on penalties in 2000 and the FA Cup final to Liverpool in 2001. We also lost Nicolas Anelka, Marc Overmars and Manu Petit. Those setbacks only made Wenger stronger. He kept us believing and when we reached the summit again it was all the more satisfying. I relished playing at Old Trafford. Every season Wenger would pick a song that would be played on the bus when we arrived at a ground. In 1998, it was Simply The Best. It gave us a feeling of invincibility and helped us break United’s psychological hold on the Premier League. We went to Old Trafford in March 1998 nine points behind but with three games in hand. Overmars, who scored the winner, was unplayable. United kept rotating their full backs to try to deal with him. After witnessing that masterclass, I knew we could win the title. In those early days, the rivalry did not seem to affect Wenger but its importance grew. I missed the 6-1 defeat in 2001 through injury and remember the boss saying to me shortly afterwards: ‘When are you going to be fit?’ It showed how much those games meant to him. We felt United always got the better refereeing decisions, particularly at home. Phil Neville even admitted it in Channel Five’s recent documentary The Feud. When my team-mates and I reacted the way we did to Ruud van Nistelrooy after he missed that penalty in 2003 it was because we were at the end of our tether. Van Nistelrooy was an immensely good player but we thought he had overstepped the mark in getting Patrick Vieira sent off. Of all these memorable meetings, for Arsene I am sure nothing will top completing the Double at the home of his great rivals. He will be hoping to leave Old Trafford tomorrow with one more special memory.