Yes it is too early in the season to talk of title deciders and must win games but a Manchester United – Arsenal clash is guaranteed to get the juices flowing no matter when it takes place.

These two teams have served up some classics over the years. What’s more it will not have escaped the notice of the two managers that Arsenal’s previous wins in the league at Old Trafford have a strong correlation to the Gunners winning the title.

Arsenal have won four top flight titles in the last two decades and have only won four times at Old Trafford in the league in that time and all by 1-0 scorelines. Three of wins have been precursors to winning the league while an infamous scoreless draw in September 2003 proved to be a critical moment in their unbeaten season of 2003/04.

October 20, 1990 – Manchester United 0-1 Arsenal
This one could be regarded as the first Battle of Old Trafford. Swedish winger Anders Limpar got the only goal of the game but the match is remembered for a brawl that broke out after Arsenal left back Nigel Winterburn slide in late on United’s Denis Irwin close to the touchline.

The clash set of a donnybrook that involved 21 players (Arsenal keeper David Seaman sat this out perhaps more worried about it might affect his hair) and eventually led to both sides being docked points by the FA. United were deducted a point while Arsenal lost two and in the process became the answer to the trivia question - which team won at Old Trafford but dropped points in the process?

Arsenal lost only one league game all season and finished seven points ahead of runners-up Liverpool. United finished 6th 24 points behind Arsenal and three points below 5th place Manchester City. This was the last time that City ended a season looking down on Manchester United.

March 14, 1998 - Manchester United 0-1 Arsenal
Arsenal arrived at Old Trafford nine points behind Manchester United and although they had games in hand a United win might have proved to be a critical psychological blow to the Gunners. As it was, a Marc Overmars’ goal with 11 minutes remaining decided the outcome. After 38 games Arsenal had garnered 78 points, one more than Manchester United and it was enough to give Arsene Wenger his first Premier League in his first full season in charge at Highbury.

May 8, 2002 - Manchester United 0-1 Arsenal
This Arsenal win clinched the title and it was part of a run of thirteen straight wins at the business end of the season. Sylvain Wiltord scored the lone goal close to the hour mark and the league title proved to be the first leg of a second domestic double in four seasons. Manchester United finished third on 77 points, Liverpool were runners up on 80 and Arsenal ended the season with 87 points.

September 21, 2003 - Manchester United 0-0 Arsenal
This match was the antithesis of a boring goalless game. The game was always only a spark away from an explosion and with nine minutes left Patrick Vieira and Ruud van Nistelrooy applied a blow torch.

Vieira and van Nistelrooy clashed on the edge of the Arsenal penalty box and melee ensued. The Arsenal captain was sent off and the Dutchman vilified by the remaining Arsenal players. But that was not the end of it. United were awarded an injury time penalty which van Nistelrooy hammered off the cross bar.

The referees whistle was immediately blown for full time and then the party kicked off with players exchanging threats and abuse rather than jerseys. A number of players received invites to an FA disciplinary meeting shortly after.

Van Nistelrooy’s miss proved to be of historical significance as it was the closest any team came to beating Arsenal that season. They won the Premier League by an 11 point margin over Chelsea and with United a further three points behind in third place.

Old Trafford has also proven to be a graveyard for Arsenal over the last two decades.

February 25, 2001 - Manchester United 6-1 Arsenal
Thierry Henry equalized after Dwight Yorke had given United a lead in the third minute. However, it proved to be a false dawn for the Gunners as Yorke completed a hat trick with less than a quarter of the game gone.

Roy Keane and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer added goals before half time while Teddy Sheringham twisted the knife to make it 6-1 right on full time. Arsenal’s Latvian centre back Igor Stepanovs underwent a severe test from which he never recovered.

United cruised to the title 10 points ahead of Arsenal who were runners up.

October 24, 2004 - Manchester United 2-0 Arsenal
United went into this game trailing Arsenal by 11 points while Arsenal were enjoying a league record breaking 49-game unbeaten run. After Sol Campbell was adjudged to have tripped Wayne Rooney in the box Ruud van Nistelrooy redeemed himself for the previous season’s penalty miss by giving United the lead.

Rooney doubled the margin and put the game beyond Arsenal when he scored in the final minute of the match.

The setback proved decisive for Arsenal as they lost momentum in the following month or so. Three draws (Southampton, Crystal Palace, and West Brom) and a loss away to Liverpool encouraged an already rampant Chelsea side under Jose Mourinho.

Chelsea racked up 95 points in winning their first league title since 1955 and Arsenal had to settle for runners up spot on 83 points. Manchester United finished a further six points behind Arsenal.

Feeling lucky……
Robbie Keane likes the look of Birmingham City - six goals in his last seven starts against the team in blue.

Bolton has been a favourite target of Steven Gerrard over the years. He has scored six Premier League goals against Bolton, his second best Premier League scoring performance performance against any team other than Aston Villa.

Going into the match against Marseille this weekend Bordeaux have won their last 14 Ligue Une games – a French record.

Hexed…………
Blackburn Rovers have a very poor record against West Ham United with only a solitary win in the last 11 league meetings.

Birmingham may as well enjoy the attractions of London as they have rarely left with three points. On their last 14 trips to the English capital they have only recorded one win.

It is 36 years since Fulham last won a league game at Villa Park. Since then they lost five and drawn five.