Chronicle reporter Alan Oliver has lept to the defence of Alan Shearer, who took a massive swipe from Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger last week after he went into battle with the Arsenal defence ... and won!
Oliver: "What a fool Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger made of himself at St James' Park last Saturday night. But did anyone really expect anything else? Since Graham Poll gave United a lucky penalty at Highbury back in December 2001 - Sol Campbell appeared to play the ball - when they finally broke their London hoodoo, every single decision in the games between the two teams have gone Arsenal's way.
"Wenger was upset because in his eyes - you know, the eyes that never see anything wrong with Arsenal - Shearer roughed up the little boys in his side.
"Has he forgotten that one of his little boys, defender Kolo Toure, actually picked up a ban after last season's match at Highbury when he sneakily punched Shearer off the ball - an offence which was missed by the referee but was seen by the television cameras?
"What I, and thousands of United fans, have seen and Wenger hasn't is Alan Shearer kicked from pillar to post in his nine-year career in a black-and-white shirt.
"I will never forget the night in Budapest when two thuggish Ferencvaros defenders put the boot into Big Al and Les Ferdinand from the moment the referee blew his whistle to start the match until he blew it to finish it. After the match I offered Shearer the chance to have a go at the defenders, but he refused, saying it was all part of the game.
"Wenger, of course, never played Premiership football and, to tell the truth, I'm not sure what minor heights he rose to as a player back in his native France. But when Alan Shearer finally calls it a day in May he will be hailed as the greatest player the Premiership has ever seen.
"Wouldn't it be great if Arsene Wenger joined in the tributes? But I wouldn't hold my breath."