Arsene Wenger is adamant that Arsenal's encounters with Manchester United remain as one of the Premier League’s most explosive clashes in the English football calendar.
While Arsenal versus United fixtures were a benchmark of the explosive pace and passion of the Premier League in the late 1990s and early 2000s when both teams were at the pinnacle of English football, the emergence of other genuine title contenders such as Chelsea and Manchester City recently have somewhat diluted the tie.However, Gunners supremo Wenger has bristled at suggestions that his side's matches with the Red Devils have lost some of its glamour and standing.
"It's still the same. It is not the only game anymore because you have Chelsea and Man City coming in, with Liverpool still there. But it is a game that is watched all over the world," he told Arsenal Player.
"We do [lift ourselves], we think we are on a similar level. I still think that when we have everybody available we are a strong force in this league. That's why it is important that we fight very hard [in order] not to drop points."
Despite his side's embarrassing 8-2 thrashing at the hands of United at Old Trafford in last August's league tie, Wenger is confident that his side can pick up maximum points against Sir Alex Ferguson's charges.
"They sometimes have a very compact midfield to kill our passing game and get us on the counter-attack. They do that very well," he said.
"I believe that sometimes it works for them, although last year we beat them 1-0 [at the Emirates] in a convincing way. It depends on how well we play on the day, how well we pass the ball through their lines - no matter how many are in there."
