‘We'd batter them’ - Rooney claims Man United 2008 squad would defeat current Arteta side

The Gunners secured their seventh victory in the 2025/2026 UEFA Champions League campaign following their 3-1 win against Inter Milan.

The Premier League leaders were at their best despite Arteta’s squad rotation, with Gabriel Jesus scoring a brace and Victor Gyokeres adding the finishing touch to win.

They set a new record of the only team to win the first seven games in the Champions League heading into the last group game.

While on punditry duty for Prime Video ahead of a Champions League match, Rooney was joined by former Arsenal star Theo Walcott and host Gabby Logan. 

The discussion turned to the strength of the current Gunners squad, who are considered Premier League title contenders.

Walcott posed a hypothetical question to Rooney, comparing today's Arsenal to the legendary 2008 Manchester United team that won both the Premier League and UCL titles.

"How does it compare to your 2008 team, which was probably the best team that I've ever played against?" Walcott asked.

Rooney's response was immediate and unequivocal. "Yeah, we'd batter them! I think we would," he declared, prompting laughter from the panel.

Host Gabby Logan noted the speed of his answer, remarking, "It took you half a second to come up with that."

The 2008 United squad is remembered as one of the club's greatest, featuring a fearsome attacking trio of Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Carlos Tevez.

The team was built on a solid foundation that included goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar, the defensive pairing of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic, and midfield maestros like Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs.