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Why United match is still 'massive'

While it may not be the title-deciding match-up of seasons gone by this time out, Arsenal against Manchester United remains one of the Premier League's showpiece fixtures.

It's a view that's shared by Aaron Ramsey, who had the option to sign for either club prior to his decision to head to N5 in the summer of 2008.

"Manchester United against Arsenal is a massive game no matter what the circumstances," he told Arsenal Player. "It just shows how tight the Premier League is now with more teams fighting for the championship. Even though we are still off that a little bit with United, it is still a massive game.

"A lot more teams have brought their own quality to the game. Liverpool, for example, are up there now, Chelsea last season had a difficult year but have come back and responded differently. A lot more teams and managers are having an impact."

When you think of Arsenal v Man United, you often think of Patrick Vieira v Roy Keane - and Ramsey remembers the fixture as one of the best of the Premier League era.

"They were exciting games,” he said. "A few more tackles were let go in those days. Everyone was looking forward to that battle and there was normally a red card to show for it.

"They showed how passionate they were to try to win this game and how much it meant to them and the team to get a result. They wanted to get one over on each other so that’s what made it so exciting."