WHEN Arsenal and Manchester United meet these days it cooks up memories of the Battle of the Buffet, but yesterday Arsène Wenger concerned himself with another conflict. He pondered the fight for English football’s soul as he looked forward to a match that, even so early in the season, could have a significant impact on the title race.

Wenger expressed his hope that there will be a corner of Islington that is forever England on the day that the club denied a report that a Russian billionaire was interested in buying Arsenal for £350 million. “It is important that English clubs have English values, and that it has not just become who spends more than anybody else,” the Arsenal manager said.

Given his penchant for fielding line-ups without any English players, Wenger may seem an improbable patriot, but since Roman Abramovich bought Chelsea and unleashed his wallet, Arsenal, not blessed with endless resources, have developed as compensation a sense of moral superiority over their London rivals. Money can buy titles but not tradition and class, may sum up the attitude.

“I find it more reassuring that my owners are English and they are, first, fans of Arsenal Football Club,” Wenger said. “I will go one day and the players will go one day, but the owners will be the same. They are the people who transmit the values. That is why I said a few years ago that I wanted Abramovich to come out and say what club he wanted to build. The people who are really responsible for the philosophy and continuity of the club are the owners.”

United are owned by Americans, the Glazers, Portsmouth are in Russian hands and West Ham United are believed to be the subject of a takeover bid by an Iranian.

“I don’t know if it is good or bad, but English football certainly has a question to ask at the moment on that front,” Wenger added. “Until now, one of the charms of English football has been that the fans created the clubs and controlled the clubs, that the owners are fans first.” Asked if he would prefer a £100 million transfer kitty and foreign owners or the status quo, he opted for the latter.

But what would he like for tea tomorrow? Wenger is not sure about United’s catering — “we get food and maybe pizza, I don’t know” — but hopes for spicy fare on the pitch. “A game between Arsenal and Man United that is not committed will be a disappointing game,” he said.

Arsenal have not beaten United in the league since May 2002, when Sylvain Wiltord’s goal won the title at Old Trafford. If Arsenal lose, they will be 13 points adrift of their opponents, but Wenger does not believe that would put the championship beyond his team, who drew 0-0 at home with United and lost 2-0 away last term. “I believe last season, it was a very difficult first round and in the second round we were much better. I’m convinced we have a good chance to beat them,” he said.

Thierry Henry has not recovered from his foot problem and Wenger rated his prospects of playing at only 10 or 15 per cent, while Robin van Persie suffered a hip injury in the Champions League win over SV Hamburg on Wednesday. So Emmanuel Adebayor is likely to play alone up front, Wenger using a five-man midfield that might have featured Michael Carrick had Patrick Vieira moved to Real Madrid in 2004.

Instead, Vieira remained and Carrick joined Tottenham Hotspur from West Ham United before moving to Old Trafford in a projected £18.6 million deal this summer. “I rate him because he nearly came here,” Wenger said.

“When Vieira wanted to leave, it was [Carrick] I planned to replace him with. It didn’t happen because Vieira stayed.”

GUNNERS LOOKING DOWN BARREL

Arsène have twice done the Double in the past ten years but this weekend they could provide the double take of the decade. So accustomed to the summit, Arsene Wenger’s team could be bottom of the Barclays Premiership tomorrow night — albeit having played four games rather than the five of most of their rivals — a league position they have not occupied this far into the season since 1974

The three teams below Arsenal are all at home and the world (or the table, anyway) will be turned upside down if Watford beat Aston Villa, Sheffield United at least draw with Reading and Blackburn Rovers at least draw against Manchester City. Arsenal, who are away to Manchester United in the final match of the weekend tomorrow afternoon, would then remain at the bottom if, as form suggests, they lose at Old Trafford

Alternatively, even if Watford only draw – along with draws for Sheffield United and Blackburn – Arsenal would be sent to the bottom by United with a 2-0 defeat

Never relegated since joining the top flight in 1919, Arsenal are already in new territory under Wenger. Ignoring tables one game into a season, they have never been in the bottom half of the table at any stage of a campaign since the Frenchman arrived ten years ago. They were last in the bottom half when they finished twelfth in 1994-95

OCTOBER 9, 1974 TABLE

19 Manchester City Pld 13 Pts 9
20 QPR Pld 13 Pts 9
21 Luton Town Pld 14 Pts 8
22 Arsenal Pld 13 Pts 7

AUGUST 22, 1992 TABLE

19 Tottenham Pld 3 Pts 9
20 Manchester Utd Pld 3 Pts 1
21 Wimbledon Pld 3 Pts 0
22 Arsenal Pld 2 Pts 0

RESULTS THIS SEASON

Arsenal 1, Aston Villa 1
Manchester City 1, Arsenal 0
Arsenal 1, Middlesbrough 1