Top News

Arsenal look the team to beat in both the Premier League and Champions League this season - but how good are they? Theo Walcott caused a stir on Tuesday by asking how Mikel Arteta's men would fare against the legendary Manchester United side of 2008.

"We'd batter them," was Wayne Rooney's confident reply. United hero Rooney was one of many stars of Sir Alex Ferguson's squad that won both the Premier League and Champions League.

At the time, the Red Devils become the first club to win both the Premier League and Champions League - in their modern formats - in the same season. After Manchester City's treble triumph in 2023, Arsenal are aiming to become the third.

So how would Arsenal's class of '26 fare if they faced the United team of 18 years ago. We asked the Mirror Football team.

JOIN US ON FACEBOOK! Latest news, analysis and much more on Mirror Football's Facebook page

• Alan Shearer names team that will stop Arsenal winning the Champions League

• Michael Carrick takes less than a week to show how different he is to Ruben Amorim

Wayne Rooney is spot on. For starters, the Manchester United team of 2008 were the best in Europe, having won the Champions League in Moscow.

This current Arsenal side is good, but hasn't won a single trophy yet, let alone the biggest one of the lot. Secondly, that United side not only had Rooney in his prime, but also Carlos Tevez and Cristiano Ronaldo alongside him.

Arsenal pride themselves on a strong defence, but it's difficult to see the current one Mikel Arteta has from being able to stop those three coming at them.

It's always difficult comparing teams from different eras. But the one United had back then is one of the great sides, one which would succeed in any era.

And while Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice are fine midfielders, they are not in the same league as Paul Scholes. The United team for the 2008 Champions League final couldn't even find a starting place for Ryan Giggs. That's how good it was.

The Manchester United squad of 2006/07 and 2007/08 won the Premier League in both seasons and the Champions League in the second of those two campaigns.

Of course Wayne Rooney’s vintage United would beat this current Arsenal team, which is a developing force rather than an established powerhouse, as Sir Alex Ferguson's men were in that era.

Rooney’s United were established winners, Arsenal have won one FA Cup in the past eight full seasons. United’s points per game ratio in 2006/07 and 2007/08 is better than Arsenal’s current 2.27 per game.

In the 2007/08 Premier League season, United averaged 2.18 goals per game, Arsenal are currently scoring at a rate of 1.82 per game.

Arsenal’s defensive excellence has been key to their superiority this season but, in the Premier League, they are still conceding at a higher rate to what United conceded at in 2007/08.

Arsenal are letting in an average of 0.64 goals per match, the Premier League champions of 2007/08 let in an average of 0.58 goals per match.

The current goal difference graph has Arsenal finishing with a figure of 45, United of 2007/08 finished with a goal difference of 58.

United’s back line - based on the partnership of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic - would have coped well with what Arsenal have to offer going forward while Rooney, Carlos Tevez and Cristiano Ronaldo would have given the much-vaunted Gunners defence a lot more trouble than what presents itself week in, week out in this largely underwhelming 2025/26 season.

It would be a decent battle in midfield but, in the end, United would come out on top. Batter? Maybe not. Beat? Certainly.

These debates are always extremely hard to get right. In the 18 years since United won their third Champions League, football has changed dramatically. It could be argued that the current Arsenal team would be significantly fitter and also have the ability to use possession in a way which English teams struggle to do at that point.

I would have no arguments if people either sit either side of the fence in the Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic or Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba debate. They are both truly elite. Declan Rice, Martin Zubimendi and Mikel Merino aren't a bad midfield three either and have some very different qualities to the players under Alex Ferguson.

But where there is simply no argument, is in forward areas. United trotted out a barely believable trio of Wayne Rooney, Carlos Tevez and…Cristiano Ronaldo. If Arteta had any one of those players, they would be 15 points clear and near-certainties to win the Champions League. And that is where this debate ends.

Call me a slave to nostalgia, but I'm taking that United side everyday of the week.

A useful starting point in these sorts of debates is the trophy cabinet. A quick glance reveals that Manchester United won the Premier League, League Cup and the Club World Cup in the 2008/09 season, while finishing as runners-up in the Champions League and semi-finalists in the FA Cup. While Arsenal are still in all four competitions this season, they are yet to have their name inscribed on any silverware, so sweeping assessments are premature.

United's squad contained some all-time great players: Edwin van der Sar, Rio Ferdinand, Michael Carrick, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo. Arsenal's contains some exceptional stars of the present: Gabriel Magalhaes, Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka.

The only way I can see Arsenal's current vintage coming out on top is if they end the 2025/26 season with multiple trophies. Right now, though, they still have some way to go until they can considered the equals of those who have actually been there and done it.

Which team would you back? Have your say in the comments section.

First and foremost, these questions are already tedious. 'Maradona or Messi?' 'Van Dijk or Vidic?' You'll never find an answering comparing different eras, but let's try.

United had the firepower to beat anyone in the world that season - and the two campaigns either side. In a one-off fixture, they'd likely batter Arsenal as Rooney says.

Over the course of a season, however, Arsenal would stand a better chance of winning the Premier League. Their squad depth is borderline obscene and with William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes, they're a match for Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic.

Overall, though, I'd pick United. We've got the evidence with them, whereas it won't be until May when we find out how good Arsenal really are.

Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us - and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.