Thirty-seven matches without defeat means the Highbury outfit entertain Leicester in their final game tomorrow already 11 points clear of second-placed Chelsea and a massive 15 in front of United, who have been consigned to third spot for the second time in three years.

Neville and his team-mates have been forced to endure the criticism of a demanding public, who do not understand why United have failed to compete with their long-standing rivals.

Yet the England full-back believes too much time has been spent discussing negative issues rather than praising Arsenal’s phenomenal achievement.

And though the Old Trafford side are determined to wrest the crown back from Arsenal in 12 months’ time, he admits that if the Gunners went through next season unbeaten, they would win the title then as well.

“Manchester United haven’t lost the league, Arsenal have won it,” Neville told BBC’s Football Focus.

“I don’t care if we had produced one of our best ever seasons, it would still have been impossible to win the league.

“In this country we like to say ‘look at Manchester United, look at Chelsea, Liverpool and Newcastle – they have failed’.

“But this year, one team could go 38 matches unbeaten. If they did that next year they would win the league again.

“If Arsenal had lost the usual number of games teams do in a season, three to four, we would have still been involved in the championship race this weekend.”