”We don’t carry wimps in our team” — the words of Sir Alex Ferguson after the latest explosive meeting between Arsenal and Manchester United at Highbury.
It started with Patrick Vieira threatening Gary Neville in the tunnel before the match, it ended in a 4-2 win for United and the end of the Gunners’ reign as champions.
But for all the niggling, the diving, the needless nastiness, wasn’t it the most compelling 90 minutes of football you could wish to see?
Look, the Premiership battle is over. Chelsea can afford to slip up and still win it. In fact, they could do a hop, skip and a jump and still end the season four or five points clear.
So what exactly was going on at Arsenal on Tuesday? Here we saw two groups of players representing the two dominant forces of British football over the past 15 years, playing for second place.
They earn more in a week than most British people earn in two years. But for all their celebrity lifestyles, their big cars, their huge mansions, they scrapped like peasants for potatoes over the three points on offer.
And that’s why the English Premiership is so compelling. Every game means something to these men, all superb professional athletes born to sporting stardom.
Vieira simply shuffled up to Neville before the game and said: ”I am going to get you.”
Then Roy Keane got involved and referee Graham Poll, perhaps the best of a much-maligned bunch of Premiership referees, emerged to restore a semblance of calm before the footballing storm.
Then we had the good from Ryan Giggs, the bad from a diving Ashley Cole and the ugly from head-butting Mikhael Sylvestre.
And, constantly, the sideshow of grim Glasgow docker Ferguson and his once-suave French counterpart Arsène Wenger showing their emotions on the sidelines.
Great stuff. You’d pay any money to have been there, to witness these two armies refusing to take prisoners, fighting to the death.
And always, the irony that they know they are fighting a losing battle against the roubles of Roman Abramovich, whose Chelsea are simply romping away on four fronts as they head towards a still-improbable quadruple of League Cup, FA Cup, Premiership and Champions League.
Ironic, then, that this week of all weeks, David Thompson, the Blackburn fullback, should come out and say: ”You like to see a club build a side rather than buy a side. Chelsea are buying it.”
For Thompson’s information, the last side to buy the title were, erm, Blackburn in 1995 with Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton imported to the Lancashire mill town to score the goals that took the Premiership away from Old Trafford and Highbury for once in the past 13 years.
This time it will be Chelsea — and if it takes millions to break the Arsenal/ Manchester United duopoly then so be it. Money will never destroy the passion and commitment of true footballers. We witnessed that much on Tuesday night.
This weekend:
Aston Villa vs Arsenal
This could easily be a fifth Premiership defeat for the Gunners, now that the title has gone. The bitter after-taste of defeat against United won’t help against a Villa side who have underperformed this season. They should be in the top half and with Arsenal showing weaknesses at the back and still looking for a decent goalkeeper, David O’Leary’s side should claim a valuable three points.
Verdict: Villa 2 Arsenal 1
Palace vs Bolton
Palace produced a miraculous draw against West Brom on Tuesday and Andy Johnson just can’t stop scoring. I love the way they battle under the superb Iain Dowie. But Bolton, who didn’t win throughout November and December in a horrible 10-match streak, have now won six on the trot and are pushing for Europe again.
Verdict: Palace 2 Bolton 2
Liverpool vs Fulham
Liverpool came from behind to win at Charlton on Tuesday, with Fernando Morientes scoring a cracking first goal for the club. Rafa Benitez’s men are closing in on rivals Everton — but they’re inconsistent and Fulham will be aware that Southampton claimed their only win under Harry Redknapp against them with not much trouble. Thing is, Fulham look fairly safe now, so will they start to relax and help the Reds march towards Europe?
Verdict: Liverpool 2 Fulham 0
Man United vs Brum
It’s hard to say this as an Arsenal fan but United were magnificent in the second half at Highbury. Paul Scholes and Keane were exceptional in the centre of the midfield while Giggs is having his best season in years. They’re still dodgy at the back but Birmingham aren’t good enough to exploit it.
Verdict: Man U 3 Birmingham 0
Boro vs Blackburn
Steve McLaren’s Middlesbrough slipped up badly at Portsmouth in the week and won’t relish the visit of Mark Hughes’s rough-and-ready Blackburn, with Robbie Savage drafted in to up the niggle content. Rovers still have the spectre of relegation to banish, they should get a point.
Verdict: Boro 1 Blackburn 1
Newcastle vs Charlton
Graeme Souness has killed off any lingering morale in the camp with his public humiliation of Craig Bellamy and he’s bought a dud in Jean Alain Boumsong, a free signing for Rangers who Souness purchased for a mere £8-million. Charlton were stung by Liverpool in the week but they’re a good side. While we’re here — why not put money on Charlton for the FA Cup?
Verdict: Newcastle 1 Charlton 1
Norwich vs WBA
These are dead men walking. Both are doomed to a quick return to the first division despite showing recent signs of resistance. Norwich are over-reliant on the fading talents of Darren Huckerby while West Brom need the pacey little Robbie Earnshaw to continue scoring. The worst possible outcome for both clubs would be a draw.
Verdict: Norwich 0 West Brom 0
Spurs vs Portsmouth
Spurs suddenly find themselves on a run of three successive defeats, and their comprehensive 3-1 failure at Bolton follows an awful 3-0 defeat against Crystal Palace. Portsmouth are on the up under Joe Jordan and have nearly achieved mid-table security. Spurs have signed 22 players in a year, including two more this week. But coach Martin Jol still has to mould a team at White Hart Lane.
Verdict: Spurs 2 Portsmouth 1
Chelsea vs Man City
Ho hum. Another weekend, another win for Jose Mourinho’s Russian-funded machine. Certainly Manchester City don’t have the equipment to stop Chelski’s march to their first title in 30 years. Player of the season? Frank Lampard, John Terry and Arjen Robben are all contenders — and they all play for one team. Me? I’d go for Petr Cech, the superb Czech goalkeeper who must make United, Arsenal and Liverpool weep as they struggle to find a consistent stopper.
Verdict: Chelsea 4 Man City 0
Saints vs Everton
Redknapp has finally got things going at St Mary’s with a win over Liverpool and the FA Cup triumph against rivals Portsmouth. Peter Crouch is scoring for fun, but there’s still plenty of work to be done if they want to catch Palace and escape the drop. Everton without Thomas Gravesen are not the side they were in the first half of the season — but they’re no pushovers.
Verdict: Southampton 2 Everton 2