Clichy relishing Ronaldo duel

Gunners full-back confident he can match winger

By Lewis Rutledge   Last updated: 3rd November 2007

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Gael Clichy believes he will be able to snuff out the threat posed by Cristiano Ronaldo when Arsenal tackle Manchester United on Saturday, live on Sky Sports 1.

The French full-back, who will be in direct competition with the United winger, is taking confidence from the last time he faced Ronaldo.

The Gunners beat United 1-0 at Old Trafford last season before winning 2-1 at Emirates Stadium, and Clichy feels he got the better of Ronaldo.

"Before we played at Manchester United, William Gallas came up to me and told me how we were going to snuff Ronaldo out of the game," Clichy said in The Sun.

"William told me to stay cool and never let my head go down. He reminded me that you must make an impression on the guy you are marking and dominate him if possible.

"It is a proud memory of mine that long before the end of the game Ronaldo switched wings.

"In my view Gallas helped me win my duel with United's star player."

Hleb in confident mood

Alexander Hleb is also upbeat about Arsenal's chances against United after an excellent start to the season.

The midfielder feels there is enough talent and versatility within the squad for Arsenal to challenge for the Premier League title.

"There is a strong core of players - like (Tomas) Rosicky, Cesc (Fabregas), (Emmanuel) Adebayor, (Emmanuel) Eboue, (Mathieu) Flamini and myself - who know each other well," Hleb told The Times.

"We enjoy playing together and we want to make it fun for the supporters.

"I also think the fact that there are so many 'universal' players - who can change positions even during a match - is a big plus."