Pires up for the good battle

ENGLISH FA PREMIERSHIP/Manchester United v Arsenal: Richard Williams talks to Arsenal's Robert Pires as the Londoners prepare to face Manchester United at Old Trafford tomorrow.

'It's a big game for us," Robert Pires said yesterday, flashing that musketeer's grin, "but it's a bigger one for them. It could relaunch their season. So they'll be motivated, all right."

As he prepared for tomorrow's match at Old Trafford, Pires remembered the last time he and his Arsenal colleagues met a motivated Manchester United. It was last April, in the semi-final of the FA Cup at Villa Park. Pumped full of anger and adrenaline, United rolled right over their rivals.

"We came across a very good team who posed us a lot of problems," Pires continued, speaking in his native French as he prefers to do even after four years in England. "But four days later we were due to play Chelsea in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-final. For us, it was difficult because we already had the Chelsea match in our heads."

Five months earlier they had taken part in the Battle of Old Trafford, the volcanic goalless draw that climaxed with Martin Keown's antics aimed at Ruud van Nistelrooy. Looking at the turbulent history between the clubs, Pires cannot guarantee it won't happen again.

"Oh, sure, it'll be hot," he said. "For the supporters of both sides, and for people who love football, these are very big matches. Playing at Old Trafford, in front of almost 80,000 spectators, certainly makes your heart beat faster. You really feel the heat of a match like that. For a professional, I'm telling you, it's a great pleasure.

"There's nothing particular between the players. It's just a rivalry between the clubs that's been going on for years, and between the two sets of supporters. But you feel the atmosphere and, if there's a contact or a bad tackle, it can turn into a war. That's normal.

"You have two great teams on the pitch going for the same objective, and that's it. That's football. As we say in France, it's une bonne guerre. And for me, when we play against Manchester United, it's great football."

The psychological warfare between the two managers keeps the dressing-room entertained.

"It amuses us. It's normal. But it's not we who start it every time. I think Mr Ferguson tries to destabilise us, and to give his players the means to knock us flying. But that's okay. It's part of the game. We accept it. But we don't take part in it. It's between Ferguson and Wenger. The fact they're 11 points behind us will be enough to motivate them."

A win or a draw tomorrow would take Arsenal to 50 consecutive league matches without defeat, but Pires is adamant the prospect imposes no additional mental burden on the players.

"The record is there. The run continues. But we don't think about it. The fans and the press may use the word invincible, but you'll never hear it from one of us. We don't feel invincible. You have to respect your opponents.

"We just play from match to match. For us, the record was to beat the one established by Nottingham Forest. We did that. It's over. It's important to the supporters, of course. No problem. But we just want to keep winning for as long as possible. Now, of course, the target of every side in England is to beat Arsenal."

His own participation tomorrow was in doubt after Wednesday night's Champions League group match in Athens, when Arsenal twice surrendered a lead and went home with a 2-2 draw. While transferring the ball to Jose Antonio Reyes during the sublime move that gave his team their second goal, Pires was hit by a late tackle and suffered a bruised ankle.

"I was a bit worried about it," he said. "It wasn't so good in the plane after the match, but today it's okay. And it should be fine for Sunday."

The result left Arsenal second in the group. "We were happy because we came back with a draw, which isn't easy when you're playing Panathinaikos, with all that atmosphere and the excited crowd."

It was Arsenal's second goal, scored by Thierry Henry, that gave the night its distinction. Nothing could have been more characteristic of the side fashioned by Arsene Wenger than a move that began in the home side's penalty area and ended, after four quickfire passes and bewildering movement, with the ball in their net. It had Arsenal's signature all over it.

"Yes, I think it was very typical," Pires said. "And that's certainly Arsenal's most dangerous weapon, to win the ball very deep in defence and then move it up the field very quickly. Ashley (Cole) won possession and gave it to me, I gave it to Jose (Reyes), and he gave it back to Ashley, who centred for Thierry. So in four passes we covered the length of the pitch and scored."

A bit like a basketball team on a fast break, covering the court in half a dozen strides? "Yes, a lot like basketball. We win the ball back, and then we explode."

Such fluidity is instinctive and the result of hard work, he said. "We've had four seasons now of playing together, so certain things have become automatic. There are affinities between the players. For instance, I combine very well with Ashley on the left wing, which is a tactic we like a lot. It's true our attacks often concentrate on the left side, but we're working to vary our play, because when the ball is on the left, space will be opening up on the right. And it's interesting this season quite a lot of our goals have come from the right side."

The hard work was done in pre-season training. "In Austria we worked on winning the ball in defence, moving at speed and, above all, keeping the ball on the ground as much as possible. And you see the results in the championship. It's about fluidity. The players are always moving."

The infernal rhythm characteristic of this Arsenal at their peak is difficult to achieve and even more difficult to maintain over a long period, which is why their unbeaten record is so impressive.

"Normally it can't be done," Pires said, "because the season lasts 10 months and we're fighting on so many fronts. But we managed it last season, and today we're still on a run. Arsene Wenger works hard to get us to perfect it, and when new young players arrive at the club, it's not so hard for them to fit into a team who're playing so well."

And so to Old Trafford, and the prospect of an undefeated half-century. Sooner or later their run will be ended, but they would probably prefer it to be by someone other than Manchester United.

"If we can avoid that possibility," Pires said, his mock solemnity overtaken by another flash of that smile, "we will."