Gunners and United bank on Van men to deliver

IN THEIR darkest hours, Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Robert Pires talked frequently about their determination to resume their Arsenal careers where they had left off.

Both suffered serious knee injuries during the second half of last season van Bronckhorst against Fuham and Pires against Newcastle. Both were ruled out for six months but, as they proved in the 2-0 win over Middlesbrough at Highbury on Saturday, they are close to recapturing the form that set Arsenal on the road to the Double last season just in time for the critical Christmas programme.

"It was strange," said van Bronckhorst. "A week after I had my operation, Robert was injured. I spoke with him often because we had the same injury and we were almost at the same stage of recuperation at the same time.