Arsenal and Man United are back!

 

MANCHESTER, England -- Manchester United and Arsenal are finally emerging from cold storage.

The rivalry that once dominated the Premier League has been reduced to a sideshow for the best part of two decades due to the respective decline of both teams -- but Sunday's clash at Old Trafford proved [No.] that two of England's biggest clubs are, after a torturous wait, on the way back.

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For the first time in longer than both clubs care to remember, though, a return to glory is now visibly on the horizon. Come back in two years' time and United and Arsenal could be the big two once again.

This is poor. "WUI," writing under the influence. I know this soccer writer, Mark Ogden, I don't remember if he is the United beat writer for ESPN, but this is irrational exuberance wherever his passions lie.

 ... the remarkable revival by Erik ten Hag's team...

True that. Shocking, really. Two losses, Brighton and the Brentford "Bees", to open the season and now four straight wins, including over Liverpool and Arsenal.

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United fans still want rid of the Glazer family...

Of course they do, they wanted rid of the Glazers when Ferguson was still winning titles. They will always want "GLAZERS OUT!"

Arsenal are further down the track than Ten Hag's United in terms of rebuilding...

Arteta has been backed by the club's owners to make and take some tough decisions on the makeup of his squad...Pep Guardiola's former assistant at Manchester City...summer additions of Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko, in particular, have fast-tracked the injection of a winning mentality into the squad.

Both of those former Pep Boys.

Manchester City and Liverpool are still some distance ahead of United and Arsenal in terms of quality...

Yes! And where do you think City and 'Pool are going in two years, Mark, that United and Arsenal are going to be the old-new Big Two?
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United have positive momentum now, but there is also a different feel to Arsenal, who have been plagued by fragility since the final days of Arsene Wenger's reign in charge.

I have felt the same feel.

The defeat at Old Trafford wasn't caused by a lack of Arsenal character, rather a failure to capitalise on a period of dominance...

That is a difference, different words anyhow, but a difference without much of a distinction.

There is no sense that Arteta's players will go into a tailspin after losing to United...

Okay, I've had enough. Mark, write again when you're sober. 

I wondered post-match how Arsenal's players would respond. I didn't think Arteta would (so far as he is capable) let the team brood on this and collapse, but the point is I had a "sense". I think Ogden is right, I do think the squad is tougher mentally, but this match was a heavy blow. Ogden has "no sense" that Arsenal will be tilted. (?) Did you have a sense, Mark, that United would win four straight and beat Liverpool and Arsenal in the streak? You don't know Arsenal's mentality right now, I don't know it; I have the good sense to admit that I don't know.