Former Manchester United defender Patrice Evra has once again taken aim at former Arsenal forward Theo Walcott over his controversial comparison between Arsenal’s current squad and Manchester United’s legendary 2008 team.
The debate was originally sparked in January when Walcott asked Wayne Rooney whether the 2008 United side could match up against Mikel Arteta’s 2025/26 Arsenal team ahead of their Champions League clash with Inter Milan. Rooney’s response was emphatic, insisting his former side would “batter” the modern Gunners squad.
Evra later weighed in with a far more explosive reaction. The French defender dismissed Walcott’s comments outright, joking that the ex-Arsenal winger must have been “drunk” during the discussion and questioning his suitability as a pundit.
The conversation resurfaced during a recent discussion featuring former United teammates Rio Ferdinand and Ryan Giggs, when Ferdinand revisited Walcott’s original claim.
Evra responded humorously but sharply, saying he was tempted to leave the show altogether. He added that Walcott’s comparison reflected what he described as Arsenal’s “delusional” outlook.
“That’s the problem with Arsenal,” Evra said. “Now he’s comparing this team to our 2008 team. I believe he is a threat to society. He should not be on TV. That kind of talk is dangerous for kids.”
He went on to reiterate his criticism, arguing that such comparisons lacked realism and showed “false beliefs,” recalling previous remarks in which he compared Arsenal’s title challenges to a Netflix drama.
Evra concluded by insisting Walcott should not be given a media platform if he continues making such claims, describing the debate as disrespectful to football history.
