Manchester United and Arsenal are set to lock horns at Old Trafford on Sunday in the Premier League.
The Gunners will hope to win their penultimate game of the season to keep their title hopes alive until the final day of the campaign.
Meanwhile, the Red Devils – who have three games left – will be eager to end a poor league campaign on a high and perhaps claim a late European berth.
Manchester United will be especially desperate to bounce back from their 4-0 hammering at the hands of Crystal Palace on Monday night.
Arsenal legend Ian Wright spoke about the Red Devils’ loss at Selhurst Park in the latest episode of the Wrighty’s House podcast, and also looked ahead to Sunday’s match.
What did Ian Wright say about Manchester United v Arsenal on Sunday?
The Highbury icon said he believed the Gunners will win, “because they have to” if they want to keep their title hopes alive.
However, Wright also spared a thought for Manchester United, who he effectively described as a team in free fall.
Wright said: “I’d like to think the the way we play, where we are defensively and through the midfield and upfront…
“Yeah, I’d like to think that we will win the game, because we have to.
“But at the same time, it’s not fun watching Man United’s fall. It’s falling so fast. It’s not fun, not fun for me.
“Obviously I want my team to do well, but it’s not fun watching them,, because it was really quite humiliating.”
Manchester United being pitied by Arsenal legend will be a bitter pill to swallow
For many years, Manchester United were hated by rival fans, because of how they dominated the Premier League.
When you’re a fan of a team, being hated (let’s face it, envied) by rivals is what you want, because it means you’re winning and they’re losing.
Being pitied is what you want to avoid. For a while, rival fans will gloat and revel in your defeats, and again, that’s normal.
But when those rivals actively start feeling sorry for you, that’s pretty much when you’ve reached rock bottom as a team, relatively speaking.
Man United fans will be hoping the hierarchy at the club can start the rebuilding job as soon as possible and turn the team into one that rivals hate and envy, rather than pity.
Luckily for the Red Devils, they can get a head start in just two games over the coming weeks.
Beat Arsenal, and they’ll likely have destroyed their title hopes this season, which will give Man United fans a great deal of joy.
And then obviously you’ve got the FA Cup final against Manchester City, one of the biggest derbies in years between the two.