"Arsenal stuck their necks out by claiming in the papers
they wouldn't lose a match all season. You can be no more
explicit in annoying a direct opponent. We felt hurt. They
do have quality, but they'd have done better shutting up.
They are not in the same class as us. We are the second
biggest club in Europe.
"It is our past that makes the difference. There is no
comparison at the level of international experience. They
showed no humility. The wheel turns very quickly. We
celebrated our title win but it will go no further.
"I think we respect our opponents a little more. When you
win 3-0, you must not start taking the mickey. We were
thirsting for revenge when trying to catch Arsenal. They had
pulled off the Double the year before and we had won
nothing.
"It was the finest championship title I've won. It was the
season when we slogged our guts out the most. It was an
exceptional recovery. We drew a lot on our mental strength.
We wanted to recover the trophy that belonged to us."
Silvestre looked back on a conversation he had with Vieira:
"I remember Pat did not believe we could play on without a
slip-up. He must be laughing a little less today. I do
understand people in France talk all the time about Arsenal.
It's true their attackers do have a ball. But, at times, we
in Manchester get a little jealous of their getting too much
media attention."
Interestingly, Silvestre says:
"It's a long time since I worried about whether I was
playing at left-back or in the middle because I saw I could
play in both positions. There will be a change for the
coming season, though. The club are looking for a left-back
and I will play in the middle."