Neville ready for 'special' fixture

Veteran Manchester United defender Gary Neville is expecting a cracker against Arsenal when the sides square up at Old Trafford on Saturday.

Just a fortnight into the new campaign, United host the Gunners in a game which will indicate whether the Red Devils are the same force without Cristiano Ronaldo and if the Gunners are better off without Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Adebayor.

Even without the talents of Cesc Fabregas, there are enough high-quality players on both sides to maintain the tradition of a fixture that has tended to be one of the most talked about of the entire season.

"It is still a special fixture," said Neville.

"We have had some good games against them, and we are very aware of each other.

"It has always been the case that both teams play attractive football. There might have been the odd one-goal victory here and there, but generally there have been goals in the games. Both teams will try to win, so it should be open.

"Our respective histories ensure both sides play the right way. It often produces great games, and this should be another."

That is not to say Neville believes the outcome will shape the destiny of the title.

It might have been a rarity, but United stormed to their 18th championship last term despite winning just one of the six games against their major rivals.

Twice Sir Alex Ferguson's men lost to Liverpool, while their only point against Arsenal came at Old Trafford - although admittedly it was a pretty significant one, given it clinched the title.

"Sometimes during a season we have lost games against the top four and won the league; sometimes we have won them and lost the league," Neville observed.

"If you can take points off your major rivals it can only be good, but it doesn't necessarily mean you are going to win the league.

"What you look for is consistency over the entire season that you are looking for.

"Early in the season, you still have time to recover.

"Having said that, we don't want to come out of this with two defeats in the first four games. That wouldn't be very good at all."

That shock defeat at Burnley clearly still haunts United, which is why Ferguson may stick with the side that put five past Wigan last weekend.