Soccer: Underdogs label has Giggs spitting tacks

Ryan Giggs is a Ferguson man. Photo / AP

There was a little of Sir Alex Ferguson's indignation on display when Ryan Giggs was asked about the notion that his club face league leaders Arsenal as second favourites in tonight's English Premiership League contest (NZT).

"Are you making us underdogs?" Giggs asked. "Manchester United vs Arsenal at Old Trafford - underdogs?"

Arsenal haven't shown any of the invincibility they had when winning the title at Old Trafford in 2002 and have not faced any of last season's top four yet. They have not encountered a scoring threat of the calibre of Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie yet.

Though manager David Moyes will bring a different philosophy, United believe they have the measure of Arsenal.

Moyes shared Giggs' mild indignation. Arsenal are coming to play the champions of last season, he said. He has beaten Arsene Wenger only three times, drawn six and lost 17 over his years in charge of Everton and Preston North End but the manner of United's victories in the last two seasons mean an Arsenal win would be an extraordinary statement about how the two have diverged.

Ferguson has cited Olivier Giroud as an example of Wenger overestimating French football, while the best he said of the German Per Mertesacker was that playing him was not a handicap.

We are about to find out how much hubris was contained in that Ferguson characterisation.

Though United's midfield is likely to be tested less by Arsenal than others this season, the visitors' central players are better.

When Arsenal won that 2002 title, United were in transition, much as they are now. Moyes said his side could make up the 11-point deficit on Arsenal which defeat would bring - but admitted that the changing of the guard at his own club in part explained Wenger's return to the top of the table.

Giggs did not want to hear about the mighty Gunners of 2013: "To be honest with you, I don't really take an interest in whether Arsenal have got a big enough squad," he said. Spoken like a true trooper of the Ferguson era.

- The Independent