In yesteryear, Robert Pires was one of Arsenal's star attackers in tempestuous, frantic title clashes against Manchester United which captured the imagination of the British public.
Now, ahead of the two old foes meeting at Old Trafford this evening, times have changed. Both teams have struggled to consistently compete with this season's runaway title contenders in Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool.
Yet Pires backs his old club, for whom he made 287 appearances over six seasons, to finish above United this season and seal a top-four finish - their first since the 2015-16 season.
Robert Pires was one of Arsenal's biggest stars in title clashes against Manchester United
The Frenchman was full of praise for Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta and an ex-team-mate, Edu (left)
'Since they beat Tottenham in September, Arsenal have struck the right balance and finally the players believe in themselves,' Pires tells Sportsmail.
'I think they can reach the top-four. What I also believe is [that] the connection between Mikel Arteta and Edu (a former team-mate of Pires') is very positive at the club.
'They will find more great players. But the present and the future of Arsenal has definitely come from the academy in Emile Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka. The pair are not afraid to take responsibility on the field - and I love that!'
Pires, a two-time Premier League winner with Arsenal in 2002 and 2004, speaks glowingly - as a fan he now admits - about his former club.
Under Arsene Wenger, the French World Cup winner hit heights that were not surpassed in the rest of his career. While an elusive Champions League crown will always be that generation's 'what if' moment, Pires insists he owes a great deal to Wenger for forming a team which went down in history.
Piers was an integral part of the Invincibles, which went the 2003-04 league season unbeaten
The French winger won two Premier League titles during six successful years at the club
'I’m not arrogant but I think we simply had everything!' a smiling Pires adds.
'Quality, ability, talent, spirit, commitment. If you are a manager you want to build a great team around this.
'Arsene focused on every single player and I think his secret was the way he mixed the English players with the foreigners. In the end it was fantastic but the most important thing we had was spirit. Without this, the unbeaten season would have been impossible.'
A team-mate of Pires at club and international level was Patrick Vieira, the captain of that all-conquering side who is now cutting his cloth in management at Crystal Palace.
