Wayne Rooney says Arsenal against Manchester United is not just a shoot-out between him and Robin van Persie.
Striker says Sunday's game is not a shoot-out
Wayne Rooney says Sunday's clash between Arsenal and Manchester United is not just a shoot-out between him and Robin van Persie.
Between them they have netted 40 goals in all competitions this season, with van Persie scoring 22 times and Rooney 18, and many feel whichever forward comes out on top will decide the match.
Rooney thinks there is a lot more to the game than that but does concede United will need to keep the Dutchman quiet at the weekend.
He said: "It is not about me and Van Persie.
"It is about us against Arsenal. That is what we will be focusing on.
"There are a lot of top strikers in the league; Van Persie, Sergio Aguero, Yakubu is playing really well.
"Van Persie has scored a lot of goals and is playing really well," added the 26-year-old.
"He will be the biggest threat for Arsenal on Sunday. Van Persie and Ramsey are certainly the two who have stood out for them this season."
When the two sides met in August, the Red Devils thumped the Gunners 8-2, with Rooney scoring a hat-trick at Old Trafford.
Rooney admitted the magnitude of the result didn't sink in until well after the game adding: "We knew it was a great day for us and a bad one for them.
"To beat Arsenal 8-2, with the players they have got, the history of the club and the manager, it was a great result. We certainly didn't expect to beat them 8-2 and I am pretty sure it won't be like that again.
"You just end up in a zone. Every time we went forward we seemed to be creating chances or scoring.
"I wasn't really thinking of whether we are making history and what is going to get said. I just wanted to score more goals.
"It is only afterwards that you realise what a win it was."
The result forced Arsenal to go into the transfer market and strengthen their squad as they flirted with the relegation zone. Since then the Gunners have rebuilt their season and are just four points behind fourth placed Chelsea.
They are still 15 points off the top, however, despite this Rooney is not ruling them out of the title race yet.
"It wasn't just that one result. It was the way they started the season," he said. "They didn't get the results they needed and a lot of stuff was said about them.
"But since then, they have gone on a great run and won a lot of games, as any team under Arsene Wenger is capable of doing.
"I certainly wouldn't write them off. They are capable of going on a big run and whilst I still think us, City and Tottenham are the three favourites, Chelsea and Arsenal could still have a big say in it."
Rooney also believes that the new title challengers are a good thing for the league. commenting: "Tottenham and City are both new to the challenge of the league.
"In previous years it has been Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool all the time. It is great for the league that so many teams can win the league now."
Rooney also confirmed that he will continue to take the penalties at Manchester United, despite missing his last two.
"I will still take them," he said. "These things happen. Sometimes you miss. It is not nice but it is not something I worry about happening again."
