 Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson assessed before the match that his midfield was stronger than before, despite selling first-team players David Beckham and Juan Sebastián Verón.Arsène Wenger was optimistic of Arsenal's prospects in the upcoming season despite having only made minor changes to his squad, and Chelsea's emergence as a competitor following Roman Abramovich's takeover.Having been linked with a transfer away in the summer, Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira revealed before the game his intention to stay at the club.