Evra twists knife into despondent Gunners

MANCHESTER United captain Patrice Evra, pictured, has reignited his war of words with Arsenal by taunting them for their lack of trophies over the last four years and admitting he gets ‘wound up’ by the references to Arsenal’s attractive style of football.

Evra made himself enemy number one at the Emirates Stadium last May when he claimed United’s Champions League semi-final second leg win, also 3-1, over a young Gunners side was like ‘men against boys’.

And his standing in north London is hardly going to improve after his latest outburst. “When we won the Premier League for the third time in-a-row last season, in France they just said, ‘Manchester United are champions again’,” said Evra.

“And then Arsenal won a Carling Cup tie and you hear that it’s the most beautiful football in the world, and that they’re fantastic and that winds you up after a while. What have they won in the last four years? Nothing.”

Evra went on to admit that Sunday’s 3-1 win over Arsenal proves that United have regained the team spirit that was not present earlier in the season.

“That’s the Manchester United team spirit everyone wanted to see, so I want to say well done to everyone. We rediscovered the spirit of Manchester United and I was very proud to be captain of this team. It was a great team effort and probably our best match of the season,” Evra told French TV station Canal Plus.

“It’s funny because in many ways I really like playing against Arsenal,” he continued. “They try to play football, with neat passing, and we like to play football. So the games are often good games and I normally enjoy them, and often I play well, but there’s always something there. They want to beat us too, it’s a big thing. There is something special when we play Arsenal.”

Evra claimed United’s more direct style of play was the difference between the two sides on Sunday, though the impact of Wayne Rooney, who scored United’s superb second goal, was also crucial.

“Manchester has much more experience than Arsenal. They play good football, we also play good football but ours was much more powerful, we were much more direct. I think that’s the difference between us and Arsenal.”

Rooney’s performance was also outstanding and since the club has sold Evra’s friends Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez, it is Rooney who has become the talisman for the team.

“We have players like Wayne who can make the difference,” Evra added. “Wayne is in fantastic form and deserves all the plaudits he’s getting. He’s a real team player, and the goals are flowing now he’s been told to stay more often around the penalty area. If he comes back too deep looking for the ball he gets the hairdryer treatment from Sir Alex!”

And yet despite his comments being certain to wind up Arsenal and their fans, Evra admitted William Gallas was one of his best friends. “I often text him during a match when I see him on one of his dribbles upfield to tell him to get back into defence!” he said ­ and has called on the Gunners to do United a favour and beat Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

“I don’t think you can rule Arsenal out of the title race. They bounced back before and maybe they can do it again,” Evra concluded.