Paul Ince issues Arsenal warning ahead of Man United trip

Paul Ince has told Arsene Wenger that Saturday’s showdown with Manchester United will be the perfect gauge to see whether the Gunners will be genuine title contenders this season.

The north London side have been good form in recent weeks and head into their trip to Old Trafford on Saturday lunchtime fourth in the Premier League table and two points behind leaders Liverpool.

United, meanwhile, have made a stuttering start to life under new manager Jose Mourinho and are currently eight points adrift of the leaders heading into Saturday’s showdown.

Arsenal do not have the best of records at Old Trafford and their last win against the Red Devils at the ground came back in 2006.

And former Manchester United star Ince believes that Arsenal could lay down a marker for the season ahead with a victory against Mourinho’s men on Saturday.

Ince is quoted as telling Paddy Power in The Daily Express: “This is a great gauge for Wenger to see where his team are at in terms of challenging for the league.

“It’s their first away game to a top seven side, and if they get a result it would make them serious contenders. But it’ll be playing in the back of his mind that he’s never beaten Mourinho.

“People accuse Arsenal of lacking a back-bone. Roy Keane famously said last season that the squad is ‘soft’ and that there was ‘a weakness in the team’. Now the Gunners can prove those critics wrong.”

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Arsenal were held to a 1-1 draw by Tottenham Hotspur before the international break.