Patrice Evra has made one thing very clear in recent years. He does not have much respect for Arsenal. The Manchester United fullback recently called the London club ‘a football training centre’. These comments come just before Arsenal travel to Old Trafford for their much anticipated clash against United.
Evra gave the following statement while speaking to a French television channel. He said, “It has been five years since they won anything and for a big club like Arsenal, that is a crisis… We are more concerned with Chelsea’s results than those of Arsenal, even if we know Arsenal are a great team who can beat Chelsea, us or anyone.”
This is not the first time Patrice Evra has disrespected Arsene Wenger’s side. After Manchester United beat Arsenal in the Champions League semi-final last year, Patrice Evra said the match was like watching ‘men against boys’.
Arsene Wenger has been diplomatic in his response. He said, “He (Patrice Evra) gave you some good stuff to make it all hot before the game. We are guided by the way we want to play football and not by the statements of anybody who plays against us. Personally, I believe if you are a big player you always respect your opponent and that is what we try to do.’
Wenger added, “We want to focus on the way we want to play and ignore any provocation before a game. We are motivated by the desire to win the game and by the quality of the football we want to play.”
Arsenal are currently sitting at the top of the Barclays Premier League table with 32 points. Manchester United are hot on their heels with 31 points and a game in hand. The match on Monday will be important for both teams, especially with fixtures against Chelsea looming on the horizon for both clubs. By the end of December, the league table could be very different indeed.
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