By Simon Wright – Follow me on Twitter @Siwri88
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| Manchester United vs. Arsenal is one of England's biggest rivalries |
History, heritage, success. Manchester United and Arsenal (logos pictured) have these qualities by the bucket load. They’ve won over 30 league titles
between them and share the record of most FA Cup successes.
Their Premier League rivalry has been the stuff of legends
with some memorable and highly-charged encounters over the past quarter of a
century. On Saturday lunchtime, they will face off again at Old Trafford as
Jose Mourinho is reunited again with Arsene Wenger.
Here, I delve into the archives of encounters at the Theatre
of Dreams and look back at some pivotal matches between these two huge rivals
of the English game.
Manchester
United 1-0 Arsenal – March 1996
It was a stage in the season where Manchester United were in
top form and they were fully relying on goals from Eric Cantona. The talismanic
Frenchman was at it again here, scoring a stunning goal to earn another three
points for the Red Devils.
Cantona pounced on a bit of indecisiveness in the Gunners’
backline to hit a sublime shot on the half-volley past David Seaman. It was the
third game in a row that he had scored a massive goal for United as they successfully
reeled Newcastle United in to lift the Premier League crown for a third time in
four seasons.
Manchester
United 0-1 Arsenal – March 1998
Two seasons later and this was the first campaign when
Arsenal were serious title challengers. Going into this match, they were
unbeaten in the league since 13 December but still nine points behind the
reigning champions.
With games in hand, Arsene Wenger knew that victory here
would give his side the edge in the run-in. In a tight game of few
opportunities, it was decided by the main threat. Marc Overmars galloped past
Gary Neville to meet a Nicolas Anelka flick-on and he guided the ball past
Peter Schmeichel. It was Arsenal’s first ever Premier League goal at Old
Trafford on their sixth visit there. It was decisive.
Both sides went undefeated to the end of the campaign but
the championship crown would go to Highbury that season by a single point.
Arsene Wenger became the first foreign manager to win the Premier League.
Manchester
United 6-1 Arsenal – February 2001
A game which Arsenal fans will want to forget in a hurry.
Already looking distant in the title race, any hope they had was zapped in a
devastating first-half display by Manchester United.
They trailed 5-1 at half-time as Dwight Yorke answered his
critics by scoring a hat-trick. Skipper Roy Keane and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer also
got on the scoresheet and all this after Thierry Henry had briefly restored
parity.
Teddy Sheringham added a sixth goal in the last 10 minutes.
Manchester United were champions by mid-April and ultimately finished 10 points
clear of the chasing pack, led by the Gunners.
Manchester
United 0-1 Arsenal – May 2002
Wenger’s side headed to Manchester having won the FA Cup final
days earlier and they knew that victory here would see them clinch their second
Premier League title.
After some robust early tackles, Arsenal soaked up early
pressure and then struck on the counter-attack in the second half. Freddie Ljungberg
broke through and although Fabian Barthez denied the Swede, he could only push
his save into the path of Sylvain Wiltord.
The Frenchman followed up with the goal that ensured Arsenal
scored in every single league game that season and were to go the entire season
unbeaten away from home. The celebrations were sweet at the end. The visiting
team had taken the title away from Manchester United and they’d done it on
their own turf in the process.
Manchester
United 0-0 Arsenal – September 2003
No goals but this game made the headlines for all the wrong
reasons. It all started in the 80th minute when Patrick Vieira lost
his cool and attempted a kick-out at Ruud van Nistelrooy.
The Dutchman made the most of the incident despite no
contact being made. However, the intent was there and Steve Bennett had little
option but to send Vieira off. Then in stoppage time, Martin Keown dragged down
Diego Forlan in the penalty area and the home side had the chance to win the
match and take top spot in the process.
Few thought Van Nistelrooy would miss but he smashed his
spot-kick off the crossbar. Arsenal held on for the draw but it didn’t end
there, with Keown jumping all over Van Nistelrooy and players began pushing and
shoving one another with the United striker taking the brunt of the scuffle.
Lauren, Ray Parlour, Keown, Ashley Cole, Vieira, Cristiano
Ronaldo and Ryan Giggs were all charged with misconduct for their part in the
scuffles during the match. Wenger’s men were public enemy number one but had
the last laugh. By May, they had everyone praising them for going through the
entire league season unbeaten.
Manchester
United 2-0 Arsenal – October 2004
Arsenal arrived at Old Trafford in October 2004 on a
historic 49-match unbeaten run. Victory here would knock Manchester United out
of the title race as they would go a staggering 14 points clear of their
rivals. Sir Alex Ferguson knew he couldn’t let that happen.
It was another sour affair of bruising confrontations and
terrible tackles. Van Nistelrooy’s stamp on Ashley Cole went unpunished in the
game but he was later charged and banned on video evidence. Arsenal felt they
should have had a penalty when Rio Ferdinand pushed over Ljungberg when he was
clear on goal.
United got an even more debatable penalty in the 74th
minute when Wayne Rooney made the most of any minimal contact from Sol
Campbell. Van Nistelrooy this time made no mistake from 12-yards and Rooney
wrapped up the victory in time added on as Arsenal pushed men forward in search
of an equaliser.
More scrapping followed in the tunnel afterwards, with pizza
being thrown at Ferguson by an unidentified individual. The incident has since
been dubbed ‘Pizzagate!’
Manchester
United 8-2 Arsenal – August 2011
The gulf between these two sides was never more apparent
than in this game in 2011. Arsenal were in complete disarray with Samir Nasri
and Cesc Fabregas gone and Wenger’s unwillingness to enter the transfer market
leaving fans baffled.
United had a settled side and blew their opponents away.
Rooney produced two free-kicks and a penalty to score a hat-trick. Ashley Young
hit two stunning goals of his own as the Premier League saw one of its
highest-scoring matches in its history.
Robin van Persie did miss a penalty and found the net later
but it was a humiliation for everyone connected with Arsenal Football Club.
Wenger eventually bought five players on transfer deadline day in a panic
scramble to build up numbers. They did finish third, but nearly 20 points
behind the two Manchester clubs.
Manchester
United 3-2 Arsenal – February 2016
Arsenal did launch the career of Marcus Rashford in a
brilliant end-to-end contest in February. Just three days after making his full
club debut for Manchester United in the UEFA Europa League, Rashford made his
Premier League debut for an under-strength Red Devils side.
His stunning rise to prominence continued with two goals in
three minutes, followed by an assist for Ander Herrera in the second half.
Despite goals from Danny Welbeck and Mesut Özil, Arsenal were second-best all
afternoon. This defeat was the beginning of the end as far as their title
challenge was concerned.
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| Louis van Gaal's antics on the touchline in February raised many smiles |
The game is also remembered for Louis van Gaal’s ‘dive’ (pictured)
on the touchline as he showed a rare sign of his emotion in his stale period in
the Old Trafford dugout.
There have been plenty of stories over the years between two
of the giants of the English game. Who will write the next chapter on Saturday
lunchtime?
Arsenal haven't won at Old Trafford in the league in 10 years. Can they change this statistic or will Jose continue his hoodoo over Arsene?
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