Although
Arsenal
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
and
Manchester United
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...
have frequently been in the same division in
English football
Association football is the most popular sport in England, where the first modern set of rules for the code were established in 1863, which were a major influence on the development of the modern Laws of the Game. With over 40,000 association f ...
since 1919, the rivalry between the two clubs only became a fierce one in the late 1990s and early 2000s, when the teams regularly competed against each other for the
Premier League
The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...
title and
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
. There was also an enmity between the managers, Arsenal's
Arsène Wenger
Arsène Charles Ernest Wenger (; born 22 October 1949) is a French former association football, football Manager (association football), manager and football player, player who is currently serving as FIFA's Chief of Global Football Developme ...
(1996–2018) and United's Sir
Alex Ferguson
Sir Alexander Chapman Ferguson (born 31 December 1941) is a Scottish former football manager and player, best known for managing Manchester United from 1986 to 2013. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest football managers of all time ...
(1986–2013), and club
captains
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
Patrick Vieira
Patrick Vieira (born 23 June 1976) is a French professional football manager and former player who is the manager of club Crystal Palace. He is widely considered as one of the greatest midfielders of his generation. Vieira began his career at ...
and
Roy Keane
Roy Maurice Keane (born 10 August 1971) is an Irish football pundit, coach and former professional player. He is the joint most successful Irish footballer of all time, having won 19 major trophies in his club career, 17 of which came during ...
, and their contests often involved on-field trouble – seven red cards were shown in matches from February 1997 to February 2005. The league fixture in September 2003, known as the "
Battle of Old Trafford
The "Battle of Old Trafford" was a Premier League match played at Old Trafford, Manchester, on Sunday, 21 September 2003 between Manchester United and Arsenal. The final result, a 0–0 draw, turned out to be significant for Arsenal as they ...
", was marred by a mêlée instigated by Arsenal players, who felt striker
Ruud van Nistelrooy
Rutgerus Johannes Martinus van Nistelrooij (anglicised to Van Nistelrooy; born 1 July 1976) is a Dutch professional football coach and former player. He is currently the coach of PSV Eindhoven.
A former footballer, Van Nistelrooy is often consi ...
had cheated to get Vieira sent off. A season later, Manchester United
ended Arsenal's unbeaten run in controversial circumstances, which led to more disorder, this time in the tunnel.
By 2008 former Arsenal player
Lee Dixon
Lee Michael Dixon (born 17 March 1964) is an English retired professional footballer and pundit who played as a right-back for Arsenal. Dixon was also capped 22 times for England.
A childhood Manchester City fan, Dixon began his footballing ca ...
noted that the rivalry had diminished. Ferguson also stated that the two teams' meetings had cooled from their previous "heated" exchanges.
Other factors for the diminishing importance of the rivalry in the 2010s were the ascendancy of other clubs, including local rivals of both (
Chelsea
Chelsea or Chelsey may refer to:
Places Australia
* Chelsea, Victoria
Canada
* Chelsea, Nova Scotia
* Chelsea, Quebec
United Kingdom
* Chelsea, London, an area of London, bounded to the south by the River Thames
** Chelsea (UK Parliament consti ...
,
Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, commonly referred to as Tottenham () or Spurs, is a professional association football, football club based in Tottenham, London, England. It competes in the Premier League, the top flight of English footba ...
and
Manchester City
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The tw ...
).
Arsenal and Manchester United first played a competitive match in October 1894; as of 4 September 2022, the two clubs have faced each other 237 times in total. United have won 98 to Arsenal's 86, and 53 matches have ended in a draw.
Wayne Rooney
Wayne Mark Rooney (born 24 October 1985) is an English professional football manager and former player, who is the manager of Major League Soccer club D.C. United in the United States. He spent much of his playing career as a forward while als ...
has scored the most goals in the fixture with 12, while
Ryan Giggs
Ryan Joseph Giggs (né Wilson; 29 November 1973) is a Welsh association football, football coach and former player. Regarded as one of the greatest players of his generation, Giggs played his List of one-club men in association football, entir ...
has made the highest number of appearances with 50. Several players have featured for both clubs at different stages of their career, including
Brian Kidd
Brian Kidd (born 29 May 1949) is an English football coach and former player, who was most recently assistant coach of Manchester City, alongside manager Pep Guardiola.
Kidd was also assistant to Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson from 199 ...
,
Andy Cole
Andrew Alexander Cole (born 15 October 1971) is an English former professional footballer who played as a striker. His professional career lasted from 1988 to 2008, and is mostly remembered for his time with Manchester United, who paid a Briti ...
,
David Platt
David Andrew Platt (born 10 June 1966) is an English former professional football coach and player, who played as a midfielder.
Born in Chadderton, Lancashire, Platt began his career as an apprentice at Manchester United before moving to Crewe ...
,
Robin van Persie
Robin van Persie (; born 6 August 1983) is a Dutch football coach and former professional footballer who played as a striker. Regarded as one of the best strikers of his generation, Van Persie was known for his excellent technique and ball co ...
,
Danny Welbeck
Daniel Nii Tackie Mensah Welbeck (born 26 November 1990) is an English professional footballer who plays as a forward for club Brighton & Hove Albion.
Welbeck made his way through the youth teams at Manchester United before making his senior ...
,
Alexis Sánchez
Alexis Alejandro Sánchez Sánchez (; born 19 December 1988), also known mononymously as Alexis, is a Chilean professional footballer who plays as a forward for Ligue 1 club Marseille and the Chile national team. He is often lauded as the g ...
and former manager
George Graham
George Graham (born 30 November 1944), nicknamed "Stroller", is a Scottish former Association football, football player and manager (association football), manager.
In his successful playing career, he made 455 appearances in England's Football ...
.
History
Origins
A particularly memorable match between the two sides came on 1 February 1958, when they met in a league fixture at
Highbury
Highbury is a district in North London and part of the London Borough of Islington
in Greater London that was owned by Ranulf brother of Ilger and included all the areas north and east of Canonbury and Holloway Roads.
The manor house was situ ...
.
It was the last league game that United played before the
Munich air disaster five days later, which claimed the lives of eight of their players and saw two other players injured to such an extent that they never played again.
United won the game 5–4, with goals from
Tommy Taylor
Thomas Taylor (29 January 1932 – 6 February 1958) was an English footballer, who was known for his aerial ability. He was one of the eight Manchester United players who died in the Munich air disaster.
Career
Taylor was born in Smithies, ...
(twice),
Duncan Edwards
Duncan Edwards (1 October 1936 – 21 February 1958) was an English footballer who played for Manchester United and the England national team. He was one of the Busby Babes, the young United team formed under manager Matt Busby in the mid ...
,
Bobby Charlton
Sir Robert Charlton (born 11 October 1937) is an English former footballer who played either as a midfielder or a forward. Considered one of the greatest players of all time, he was a member of the England team that won the 1966 FIFA World Cu ...
and
Dennis Viollet
Dennis Sydney Viollet (20 September 1933 – 6 March 1999) was an English footballer who played for Manchester United and Stoke City as well as the England national team. He was famous as one of the Busby Babes and survived the Munich air disa ...
.
Five of the United players who would lose their lives as a result of the crash took to the field in the game – captain and full-back
Roger Byrne
Roger William Byrne (8 September 1929
England Football Online. Retrieved 6 June 20 ...
, right-half
Eddie Colman
Edward Colman (1 November 1936 – 6 February 1958) was an English football player and one of the eight Manchester United players who lost their lives in the Munich air disaster.
Colman was born on Archie Street in Ordsall, Salford, Lanca ...
, centre-half
Mark Jones, left-half Edwards and centre-forward Taylor.
Another high-profile clash came more than 20 years later, in the
final
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
*Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event
** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of cont ...
of the
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
on 12 May 1979.
A capacity crowd saw Arsenal take a 2–0 lead in the first half thanks to goals from
Brian Talbot
Brian Ernest Talbot (born 21 July 1953) is an English former football player and manager. He was capped six times for the England national team.
Talbot played in midfield for Ipswich Town, Arsenal, Watford, Stoke City, West Bromwich Albion, ...
and
Frank Stapleton
Francis Anthony Stapleton (born 10 July 1956) is an Irish former professional football player and manager. He is best remembered for his time at Arsenal, Manchester United and as a pivotal player for the Republic of Ireland national team. H ...
, and with just five minutes left on the clock their lead was still intact.
Then, in the 86th minute,
Gordon McQueen
Gordon McQueen (born 26 June 1952) is a Scottish former professional footballer who played as a centre-back for St Mirren, Leeds United and Manchester United. McQueen also represented Scotland.
Playing career Club
McQueen was a goalkeeper as a ...
pulled a goal back for United, and two minutes later they equalised with a goal from
Sammy McIlroy
Samuel Baxter McIlroy (born 2 August 1954) is a Northern Irish retired footballer who played for Manchester United, Stoke City, Manchester City, Örgryte (Sweden), Bury, VfB Mödling (Austria), Preston North End and the Northern Ireland natio ...
.
However, barely a minute after United equalised, Arsenal's
Alan Sunderland
Alan Sunderland (born 1 July 1953) is an English former footballer who played as a forward in the Football League for Wolverhampton Wanderers, Arsenal and Ipswich Town. He was also capped once for England.
Club career
Sunderland was born in Con ...
scored an 89th-minute goal to win the cup 3–2 for Arsenal.
Although Arsenal and Manchester United had previously contested many significant matches, Sir
Alex Ferguson
Sir Alexander Chapman Ferguson (born 31 December 1941) is a Scottish former football manager and player, best known for managing Manchester United from 1986 to 2013. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest football managers of all time ...
believed the rivalry started in January 1987 when
David Rocastle
David Carlyle Rocastle (2 May 1967 – 31 March 2001) was an English professional footballer who played as a midfielder in the roles of a playmaker and a winger.
He spent the majority of his career at Arsenal where he was nicknamed "Rocky". Ro ...
was
sent off
In sports, an ejection (also known as dismissal, sending-off, disqualification, or early shower) is the removal of a participant from a contest due to a violation of the sport's rules. The exact violations that lead to an ejection vary depending ...
for retaliating against a foul on
Norman Whiteside
Norman Whiteside (born 7 May 1965) is a Northern Irish former professional footballer who played as a midfielder and striker.
Whiteside began his career at Manchester United, signing professional forms in 1982 at the age of 17 and quickly be ...
. In October 1990, a
brawl between both sides at Old Trafford resulted in both clubs being docked points in the
1990–91 First Division.
The scuffle started when Arsenal's
Anders Limpar
Anders Erik Limpar (born 24 September 1965) is a Swedish former professional footballer who played as a midfielder.
Limpar featured for the clubs IF Brommapojkarna, Young Boys, Cremonese, Arsenal, Everton, Birmingham City, AIK, Colorado Rapids ...
, who scored the only goal of the game, contested for the ball with Manchester United defender
Denis Irwin
Joseph Denis Irwin (born 31 October 1965) is an Irish former professional footballer and sports television presenter.
As a player, he played as a full-back from 1983 to 2004. Irwin is best known for his long and successful stint at Manchester ...
.
Limpar's teammate
Nigel Winterburn
Nigel Winterburn (born 11 December 1963) is an English former professional footballer, coach and current television personality for BT Sport.
He played primarily as a left back from 1981 to 2003. He is best known for his role alongside the li ...
tackled Irwin, which prompted
Brian McClair
Brian John McClair (born 8 December 1963) is a Scottish football coach and former professional footballer.
As a player, he was a forward from 1980 to 1998, notable for his near 11-year spell at Manchester United where he won 14 trophies includi ...
and Irwin to retaliate.
Winterburn was pushed onto the advertising hoardings and all the players bar goalkeeper
David Seaman
David Andrew Seaman (born 19 September 1963) is an English former footballer who played as a goalkeeper. In a career lasting from 1981 to 2004, he is best known for his time playing for Arsenal. He won 75 caps for England, and is the country's ...
partook in a 20-second mêlée.
As well as a points deduction, both clubs fined several of their players, and in Arsenal's case, their manager too. Arsenal and United next faced each other at Highbury a little over a month later in the
Football League Cup
The EFL Cup (referred to historically, and colloquially, as the League Cup), currently known as the Carabao Cup for sponsorship reasons, is an annual knockout competition and major trophy in men's domestic football in England. Organised by the ...
fourth round.
19-year-old winger
Lee Sharpe
Lee Stuart Sharpe (born 27 May 1971) is an English professional golfer, former professional footballer, sports television pundit and reality television personality.
As a player was predominantly a left winger from 1988 to 2004, he notably play ...
scored a hat-trick as United won the tie 6–2.
1996–2003
The rivalry intensified following the arrival of
Arsène Wenger
Arsène Charles Ernest Wenger (; born 22 October 1949) is a French former association football, football Manager (association football), manager and football player, player who is currently serving as FIFA's Chief of Global Football Developme ...
in October 1996. The first meeting between Ferguson's United and Wenger's Arsenal took place at United's
Old Trafford
Old Trafford () is a football stadium in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, and the home of Manchester United. With a capacity of 74,310 it is the largest club football stadium (and second-largest football stadium overall after Wemb ...
stadium on 16 November 1996. Arsenal went into the game unbeaten in 10 matches, but an
own goal
An own goal, also called a self goal, is where a player performs actions that result in them or their team scoring a goal on themselves, often resulting in a point for the opposing team, such as when a football player kicks a ball into their own ...
by Arsenal
defender Nigel Winterburn
Nigel Winterburn (born 11 December 1963) is an English former professional footballer, coach and current television personality for BT Sport.
He played primarily as a left back from 1981 to 2003. He is best known for his role alongside the li ...
gave United a 1–0 victory. An incident in the first half involving United
goalkeeper
In many team sports which involve scoring goals, the goalkeeper (sometimes termed goaltender, netminder, GK, goalie or keeper) is a designated player charged with directly preventing the opposing team from scoring by blocking or intercepting o ...
Peter Schmeichel
Peter may refer to:
People
* List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name
* Peter (given name)
** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church
* Peter (surname), a sur ...
and Arsenal
striker Ian Wright
Ian Edward Wright (born 3 November 1963) is an English television and radio personality and former professional footballer. He works as a pundit for BBC Sport and ITV Sport.
Wright enjoyed success with London clubs Crystal Palace and Arsenal ...
evoked memories of the 1990 brawl. The return fixture at Highbury, a 2–1 win for United, was again marred by an incident between Wright and Schmeichel; the striker challenged for the ball with both feet and caught the goalkeeper with his studs.
A confrontation ensued and police stepped in to keep the players apart after the final whistle. It soon transpired the two incidents were linked, as Wright had accused Schmeichel of racially abusing him and the allegations were being criminally investigated.
Speaking to
Sky Sports
Sky Sports is a group of British subscription sports channels operated by the satellite pay television company Sky Group (a division of Comcast), and is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It ...
, Ferguson firmly denied the allegations aimed at Schmeichel, and said the claims were a "slur" against the club.
Wenger claimed Ferguson was speaking too much and should let the justices do their job,
but was defensive of the tackle which Wright had made, saying there had been 30 worse tackles in the season. Wright's behaviour was scrutinised at a hearing, where he complained he was subject to racial abuse by Schmeichel, at which point the FA intervened and met with representatives of both clubs.
In March, it was announced that Schmeichel would not face any charges for the allegations, and the pair were asked to make a public reconciliation, with Wright agreeable to the idea, but it wasn't until April that they agreed to settle their differences. The managers' animosity towards each other started to become apparent.
![Gary Neville 2012](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1b/Gary_Neville_2012.jpg)
Wenger had advised against the Premier League extending the season to ease Manchester United's fixture congestion, to which Ferguson publicly retorted: "Maybe he should concentrate on Ian Wright's tackles rather than Manchester United. He's at a big club, well Arsenal used to be a big club, and maybe next year he could be in the same situation. I wonder what
s story will be then."
United had won four of the first five editions of the newly branded league, and were on course to continue their domination after opening up a sizeable lead in February 1998. Injuries and poor results however destabilised the team, and by the time Arsenal visited Old Trafford in March, a title race was looking probable. Wenger was bullish of his team's chances: "I told you last week that the race was not over when the bookmakers stopped betting. Surprise, surprise, they have started taking money again." A goal from
Marc Overmars
Marc Overmars (; born 29 March 1973) is a Dutch former professional footballer and director of football at Belgian Pro League side Royal Antwerp FC. He was previously director of football at Ajax. During his football career, he played as a wing ...
set Arsenal on the way to victory, which put them six points behind with three games in hand. They eventually won the
league
League or The League may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Leagues'' (band), an American rock band
* ''The League'', an American sitcom broadcast on FX and FXX about fantasy football
Sports
* Sports league
* Rugby league, full contact footba ...
, and secured the
double
A double is a look-alike or doppelgänger; one person or being that resembles another.
Double, The Double or Dubble may also refer to:
Film and television
* Double (filmmaking), someone who substitutes for the credited actor of a character
* Th ...
by beating
Newcastle United
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Newcastle upon Tyne, that plays in the Premier League – the top flight of English football. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End ...
in the
Cup final.
Arsenal began the 1998–99 season with a 3–0 win over United in the
Charity Shield; Ferguson was unconcerned by the result, but losing to the champions a month later by the same scoreline was, in his words, "a lot less tolerable." Both clubs again vied for domestic honours; United this time pipped Arsenal by a point to regain the title.
They also met in the FA Cup semi-final, which was replayed after the original game ended goalless.
David Beckham
David Robert Joseph Beckham (; born 2 May 1975) is an English former professional footballer, the current president and co-owner of Inter Miami CF and co-owner of Salford City. Known for his range of passing, crossing ability and bending fr ...
and
Dennis Bergkamp scored for their respective clubs either side of half time,
Roy Keane
Roy Maurice Keane (born 10 August 1971) is an Irish football pundit, coach and former professional player. He is the joint most successful Irish footballer of all time, having won 19 major trophies in his club career, 17 of which came during ...
was dismissed, and the holders late on were awarded a penalty.
Schmeichel saved Bergkamp's attempt and the tie went into extra time.
Ryan Giggs
Ryan Joseph Giggs (né Wilson; 29 November 1973) is a Welsh association football, football coach and former player. Regarded as one of the greatest players of his generation, Giggs played his List of one-club men in association football, entir ...
memorably scored the winner, picking up possession on the halfway line and dribbling past the entire Arsenal back line before shooting past
David Seaman
David Andrew Seaman (born 19 September 1963) is an English former footballer who played as a goalkeeper. In a career lasting from 1981 to 2004, he is best known for his time playing for Arsenal. He won 75 caps for England, and is the country's ...
.
"A match that had everything finished with a pitch invasion, sporadic fighting and David Beckham carried shoulder-high from the field" wrote
Matt Dickinson
Matt Dickinson is a film-maker and writer who is best known for his award-winning novels and his documentary work for National Geographic Television, Discovery Channel and the BBC. Dickinson was one of the climbers caught in the 1996 Mount Ever ...
in ''
The Times
''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...
''. United went on to complete the
treble, winning the
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competit ...
.
The rivalry continued into the new millennium, though Manchester United's domestic grip tightened. They finished 18 points clear of Arsenal in
1999–2000 and completed a hat-trick of titles
the following season.
Any indication United could be caught faded once Ferguson's team resoundingly beat Arsenal 6–1 in February 2001.
Dwight Yorke
Dwight Eversley Yorke CM (born 3 November 1971) is a Trinidadian and Tobagonian former professional footballer and current manager of Australian A-League club Macarthur FC. Throughout his club career, he played for Aston Villa, Manchester Unit ...
scored a hat-trick, on a day Wenger fielded a relatively inexperienced centre-back pairing of
Gilles Grimandi and
Igors Stepanovs
Igors Stepanovs (born 21 January 1976) is a Latvian former professional footballer, who played as a defender, and the manager of the Latvia under-17 national team. Stepanovs played 100 international matches and scored four goals for the Latv ...
.
At the end of the campaign, Ferguson announced his decision to retire. He reportedly sanctioned a bid to sign midfielder
Patrick Vieira
Patrick Vieira (born 23 June 1976) is a French professional football manager and former player who is the manager of club Crystal Palace. He is widely considered as one of the greatest midfielders of his generation. Vieira began his career at ...
, who was upset at Arsenal's transfer inactivity. The transfer never came through; Wenger blamed his rivals for "...approach
ngto Patrick without contacting us, and that does not really respect the rules." United made an indifferent start to the league campaign, and by February 2002, Ferguson went back on his retirement plan on the advice of his family. Arsenal hit their stride as the 2001–02 season came to a close, winning the double for the second time in four years. The championship was decided at Old Trafford in the penultimate game of the season; Wenger described his team's 1–0 win as a "shift of power."
United again won the title back in
2002–03, when it looked as though Arsenal would retain it. A late-season encounter between the teams ended in controversial circumstances after the match officials allowed
Thierry Henry
Thierry Daniel Henry (born 17 August 1977) is a French professional football coach, pundit, and former player who is an assistant coach for the Belgium national team. Considered one of the best strikers of all time and one of the best players ...
's second goal to stand despite the player being offside and
Sol Campbell
Sulzeer Jeremiah Campbell (born 18 September 1974) is an English professional football manager and former player who was most recently the manager of club Southend United. He previously managed Macclesfield Town from November 2018 to August 20 ...
was sent off for an elbow on
Ole Gunnar Solskjær
Ole Gunnar Solskjær (; born 26 February 1973) is a Norwegian professional football manager and former player who played as a forward who last managed Premier League club Manchester United. As a player, Solskjær spent the majority of his care ...
in a 2–2 draw. Arsenal had beaten United on the way to
FA Cup success and both teams contested the
2003 FA Community Shield
The 2003 FA Community Shield (also known as The FA Community Shield in partnership with McDonald's for sponsorship reasons) was the 81st staging of the FA Community Shield, an annual football match contested by the reigning champions of the Premie ...
at the start of the
2003–04 season. In a hotly-contested match,
Phil Neville
Philip John Neville (born 21 January 1977) is an English football manager and former player, who is the head coach of MLS team Inter Miami CF. He is also the co-owner of Salford City, along with several of his former Manchester United teamma ...
was booked in the first minute for a challenge on Vieira and a minute later,
Ashley Cole
Ashley Cole (born 20 December 1980) is an English football coach and former player who is currently a first-team coach at Premier League club Everton. As a player, he played as a left-back, most notably for Arsenal and Chelsea. Cole is consi ...
received a booking for fouling Solskjær.
Yellow cards were also given to
Quinton Fortune
Quinton Fortune (born 21 May 1977) is a South African professional football coach and former player, who played as both a midfielder and a defender. His career began in Europe and after stints with Tottenham Hotspur, Mallorca and Atlético M ...
and
Paul Scholes
Paul Scholes (born 16 November 1974) is an English football coach, pundit, former player, and co-owner of Salford City. He spent his entire professional playing career with Manchester United, for whom he scored over 150 goals in more than 700 ...
for United and Vieira for Arsenal.
Substitute
Francis Jeffers
Francis Jeffers (born 25 January 1981) is an English football coach and former player, who is a first-team coach at Oldham Athletic.
Jeffers started his career at his boyhood club Everton, making his debut in 1997 as a 16 year old. After scori ...
was shown a straight red for a kick on Phil Neville and, despite originally going unpunished, Campbell was later given a three-match ban by the FA for kicking out at
Eric Djemba-Djemba
Eric Daniel Djemba-Djemba (born 4 May 1981) is a Cameroonian former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He previously played club football in France, England, Qatar, Denmark, Israel, Serbia, Scotland, India and Indonesia. In int ...
. The game finished 1–1 after 90 minutes and United eventually won the Shield 4–3 on penalties.
2003–04: Brawl and Cup semi-final meeting
![Old Traford](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a7/Old_Traford.jpg)
The rivalry escalated in September 2003, when Arsenal travelled to Old Trafford. In the match Vieira was shown a second yellow card for his part in an altercation with striker
Ruud van Nistelrooy
Rutgerus Johannes Martinus van Nistelrooij (anglicised to Van Nistelrooy; born 1 July 1976) is a Dutch professional football coach and former player. He is currently the coach of PSV Eindhoven.
A former footballer, Van Nistelrooy is often consi ...
, and during stoppage time, defender
Martin Keown
Martin Raymond Keown (; born 24 July 1966) is an English football pundit and former professional footballer who played as a defender from 1984 to 2005, notably in the Premier League for Arsenal, where he made over 400 appearances for the club a ...
brought down
Diego Forlán
Diego Martín Forlán Corazo (born 19 May 1979) is a Uruguayan professional football manager and former player who played as a forward. Regarded as one of the best forwards of his generation, Forlán is a two-time winner of both the Pichichi T ...
in the Arsenal penalty area. United were awarded a penalty and Van Nistelrooy stepped up to take it, but his shot rebounded off the crossbar.
This was followed by scenes of jubilation from the Arsenal players, who confronted Van Nistelrooy after his miss and the resulting scuffle led to another fracas after the final whistle.
The FA immediately took action, charging six of Arsenal's players (
Jens Lehmann
Jens Gerhard Lehmann (; born 10 November 1969) is a German former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He was a member of Arsenal's " Invincibles", playing every match of their unbeaten title-winning season. He holds the UEFA Ch ...
,
Ray Parlour
Raymond Parlour (born 7 March 1973) is an English former professional footballer and sports radio pundit for BBC Radio 5 Live and Talksport.
He was a midfielder from 1992 to 2007, and spent his career playing for Arsenal, Middlesbrough and Hul ...
,
Lauren
Lauren may be a given name or surname.The name's meaning may be "laurel tree", "sweet of honor", or "wisdom". It is derived from the French name Laurence, a feminine version of Laurent, which is in turn derived from the Roman surname Laurentius. ...
, Cole, Keown and Vieira) with improper conduct.
The club was fined £175,000, the largest ever given to a club by the FA at the time.
Lauren received a four-game ban, whereas Vieira and Parlour were given one-match suspensions.
The next game between these two clubs was held at Highbury in March 2004, again ending in a draw following a late
Louis Saha
Louis Laurent Saha (born 8 August 1978) is a French former professional footballer who played as a striker. Saha was capped 20 times for the France national team and scored four goals. A former scholar at the Clairefontaine football academy, h ...
goal. The match marked the first time a team had ever started the season reaching 30 games without defeat.
Ferguson's side then knocked Arsenal out of the FA Cup semi-final at
Villa Park
Villa Park is a football stadium in Aston, Birmingham, England, with a seating capacity of 42,682. It has been the home of Premier League side Aston Villa since 1897. The ground is less than a mile from both Witton and Aston railway stations ...
the following weekend; United supporters at the ground led a chorus of "Where's your Treble gone?" to their rivals. United went on to win the FA Cup, while Arsenal regained the title without losing a league game. They faced each other in the
2004 FA Community Shield
The 2004 Football Association Community Shield (also known as The FA Community Shield in partnership with McDonald's for sponsorship reasons) was the 82nd staging of the FA Community Shield, an annual football match contested by the reigning c ...
and Arsenal won the match 3–1.
2004–05: Unbeaten run ends, tunnel fracas
![Arsène Wenger 2008](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bb/Ars%C3%A8ne_Wenger_2008.jpg)
By the time Arsenal next played Manchester United, the club had extended its unbeaten league run to 49 games. United stood in sixth place in the table, 11 points behind Arsenal and were intent on ending their rivals' undefeated streak.
Ferguson in his press conference described Arsenal's conduct in the equivalent fixture a year ago as "...the worst thing I've seen in this sport. No wonder they were so delighted at the verdicts."
The October 2004 league match, staged at Old Trafford, was blighted by a number of fouls, overlooked by referee
Mike Riley, including striker Van Nistelrooy's studs-up challenge on Cole. Arsenal dictated much of the play, but as the game headed towards the finish, United threatened. The home side were awarded a penalty when
Wayne Rooney
Wayne Mark Rooney (born 24 October 1985) is an English professional football manager and former player, who is the manager of Major League Soccer club D.C. United in the United States. He spent much of his playing career as a forward while als ...
was adjudged to have been fouled in the area by Campbell. Van Nistelrooy scored and late in the game Rooney scored to give United a 2–0 win. Tempers flared in the tunnel afterwards; Wenger confronted Van Nistelrooy for his tackle on Cole, but Ferguson intervened and told him to leave his players alone. Pizza was thrown at Ferguson by an Arsenal player, which forced him to change into the club tracksuit in order to carry out his television duties. An investigation into "Pizzagate" never came around as both clubs kept silent.
The clubs met again five weeks later in the
League Cup quarter-finals at Old Trafford and despite both sides fielding weakened teams, the match was not short of drama.
David Bellion
David Bellion (born 27 November 1982) is a French former professional footballer who played as a striker. His previous clubs include Cannes, Sunderland, Manchester United, West Ham United, Nice, Bordeaux and Red Star.
Club career Cannes
Bellio ...
gave United the lead in just 19 seconds, but tempers boiled over in the second half; a late tackle by
Robin van Persie
Robin van Persie (; born 6 August 1983) is a Dutch football coach and former professional footballer who played as a striker. Regarded as one of the best strikers of his generation, Van Persie was known for his excellent technique and ball co ...
on
Kieran Richardson
Kieran Edward Richardson (born 21 October 1984) is an English former professional footballer who played as a winger, left-back, or central midfielder.
Richardson began his career as a trainee at West Ham United, going on to play senior footba ...
resulted in a fracas between both sets of players, which concluded with both protagonists getting booked by referee
Mark Halsey
Mark R. Halsey (born 8 July 1961) is an English retired professional football referee who was born in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, later based in Bolton, Greater Manchester. .
The game finished 1–0.
In the reverse league fixture, club captains Keane and Vieira had to be separated in the tunnel before the match by referee
Graham Poll
Graham Poll (born 29 July 1963) is an English former football referee in the Premier League. With 26 years of experience, he was one of the most prominent referees in English football, often taking charge of the highest-profile games. His final ...
. Keane accused the Arsenal midfielder of intimidating his teammate
Gary Neville
Gary Alexander Neville (born 18 February 1975) is an English football pundit and former player. He is also a co-owner of English Football League club Salford City. After retiring from football in 2011, Neville went into punditry and was a comm ...
, telling the press afterwards: "I said, 'Come and have a go at me'. Simple as that. If he wants to intimidate some of my team-mates then let's have a go at some of the other players. I think Gary Neville's an easy target. I wasn't having it." Vieira gave Arsenal the lead in the eighth minute of the match but United ran out 4–2 winners.
In May 2005, Arsenal and United contested the
124th FA Cup Final. It was the first time in the competition's history that the final was decided by a
penalty shoot-out
The penalty shootout is a method of determining a winner in sports matches that would have otherwise been drawn or tied. The rules for penalty shootouts vary between sports and even different competitions; however, the usual form is similar to pen ...
. Arsenal beat United 5–4, following a goalless draw after extra time.
Arsenal forward
José Antonio Reyes
José Antonio Reyes Calderón (; 1 September 1983 – 1 June 2019) was a Spanish professional footballer who played mainly as a left winger and also as a forward.
He made his debut for Sevilla aged 16 and signed for English club Arsenal in Ja ...
became the second player in Cup Final history to be sent off, following his second yellow card near the end of extra time.
2005–2018
Chelsea
Chelsea or Chelsey may refer to:
Places Australia
* Chelsea, Victoria
Canada
* Chelsea, Nova Scotia
* Chelsea, Quebec
United Kingdom
* Chelsea, London, an area of London, bounded to the south by the River Thames
** Chelsea (UK Parliament consti ...
's emergence as title challengers put an end to Arsenal and Manchester United's domestic duopoly. The West London club won back-to-back league titles in
2004–05 and
2005–06 under
José Mourinho
José Mário dos Santos Mourinho Félix GOIH (; born 26 January 1963), is a Portuguese professional football manager and former player who is the current head coach of Italian Serie A club Roma. Once dubbed "The Special One" by the British ...
, at a time when Arsenal and United underwent a period of transition. Vieira and Keane had left their respective clubs by the end of 2005, while Ferguson came under intense scrutiny over his management. Nevertheless, he guided his team to Premier League success in 2006–07, and won a further four league titles.
At Arsenal, Wenger oversaw the club's relocation to the
Emirates Stadium
The Emirates Stadium (known as Arsenal Stadium for UEFA competitions) is a football stadium in Holloway, London, England. It has been the home stadium of Arsenal Football Club since its completion in 2006. It has a current seated capacity ...
and made the decision to prioritise it over strengthening the squad.
The club sold several experienced players, replenishing them with younger talent.
The 2005 Cup win was their last piece of silverware until
2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
.
Though the rivalry cooled, the two clubs were still involved in engrossing battles; ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
s Jamie Jackson wrote after a November 2007 fixture: "For once here was enough spectacle to meet the pre-match hype and convince the millions watching around the world that the Premier League may just have the best footballers who can play the very best stuff." In 2009, the teams met in the semi-finals of the
2008–09 UEFA Champions League
The 2008–09 UEFA Champions League was the 54th edition of Europe's premier club football tournament and the 17th edition under the current UEFA Champions League format. The final was played at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome on 27 May 2009. It was ...
, which United won 4–1 on aggregate. United defender
Patrice Evra
Patrice Latyr Evra (; born 15 May 1981) is a French football coach and former professional player. Originally a forward, he primarily played as a left-back. Evra served as captain for both Manchester United and the France national team. His ...
was blunt in his post-match assessment: "It was 11 men against 11 children. We never doubted ourselves. We have much more experience and that's what made the difference." Wenger described it as the most disappointing night of his career, and said the response from Arsenal fans made him feel as though he had "killed someone".
![Robin Van Persie MUFC 2013](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a8/Robin_Van_Persie_MUFC_2013.jpg)
Later that month, a 0–0 draw was enough to give United a third consecutive league title, equalling Liverpool's record of 18. Wenger paid his respects to Ferguson, saying that it was "remarkable to have such a consistent motivation at that level – and deal with the stress and all the other ingredients", and declared United worthy champions.
In August of the following season, the two teams met at Old Trafford, with United coming from behind to win 2–1. Towards the end of the game, Arsenal had a goal ruled out for offside, causing Wenger to lash out and angrily kick a water bottle before being sent off by referee
Mike Dean; Wenger climbed on top of the dugout area, where he received chants of "sit down you paedophile" from United fans. The incident resulted in an apology from referee's chief
Keith Hackett
Keith Stuart Hackett (born 22 June 1944) is an English former football referee, who began refereeing in local leagues in the Sheffield, South Yorkshire area in 1960. He is counted amongst the top 100 referees of all time in a list maintained b ...
, while United chief executive
David Gill raised the issue with a group of influential supporters.
In December 2010, Ferguson made a personal plea to the United fans to no longer sing the "sick" chant at Wenger, as those kind of chants from fans were considered an embarrassment to the club. With both teams going for the Premier League title in May 2011, Arsenal won their first game against Manchester United since November 2008, to leave United just three points ahead of Chelsea and six ahead of Arsenal going into the final three games of the season. Nevertheless, United won the league, nine points ahead of Chelsea and 12 points ahead of Arsenal.
In August 2011, Arsenal suffered their heaviest league defeat in 84 years as they lost
8–2 to Manchester United at Old Trafford. Arsenal had not lost a league game by such a margin since 1927 when they lost 7–0 to
West Ham United
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club that plays its home matches in Stratford, East London. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. The club plays at the London Stadium, hav ...
in the old
Football League First Division
The Football League First Division was a division of the Football League in England from 1888 until 2004. It was the top division in the English football league system from the season 1888–89 until 1991–92, a century in which the First ...
. This was also the first time they had conceded eight goals in a game since 1896, when they lost 8–0 to the now defunct
Loughborough
Loughborough ( ) is a market town in the Charnwood borough of Leicestershire, England, the seat of Charnwood Borough Council and Loughborough University. At the 2011 census the town's built-up area had a population of 59,932 , the second larg ...
in the old
Football League Second Division
The Football League Second Division was the second level division in the English football league system between 1892 and 1992. Following the foundation of the FA Premier League, the Football League divisions were renumbered and the third ti ...
. A year later, striker Robin van Persie joined United, having stated that he would not renew his contract with Arsenal. It was speculated that he would move to a club overseas, but signed for the Manchester club, the first Arsenal player to do so since
Viv Anderson
Vivian Alexander Anderson, MBE (born 29 July 1956) is an English former professional footballer and coach. He won five senior trophies including the 1977–78 Football League title, and both the 1978–79 European Cup and the 1979–80 Euro ...
in 1987. Ferguson called Wenger to push through a deal when he learnt of the contract situation. Van Persie was instrumental in United's league win of
2012–13 – Ferguson's last, and coincidentally received a
guard of honour
A guard of honour ( GB), also honor guard ( US), also ceremonial guard, is a group of people, usually military in nature, appointed to receive or guard a head of state or other dignitaries, the fallen in war, or to attend at state ceremonials, ...
by his former teammates before United faced Arsenal at the Emirates in April 2013.
The appointment of Mourinho as United manager in 2016 added a new twist to the rivalry, given the previous animosity between him and Wenger. Sports writer
Daniel Taylor Daniel, Dan, or Danny Taylor may refer to:
Sportspeople
* Dan Taylor (shot putter) (born 1982), American shot putter
* Dan Taylor (cricketer) (1887–1957), South African cricketer
* Dan Taylor (footballer, born 1993), English footballer
* Dan Tayl ...
however argued that Wenger's stagnation hindered any confrontations between the two managers, writing: "Ferguson stopped aiming his barbs at Wenger once it became clear his old enemy was no longer capable of producing title-winning teams and it doesn’t feel like a coincidence that Mourinho also seems indifferent now that Arsenal have dropped even further back." Former midfielder Phil Neville criticised the players for hugging in the tunnel before a league fixture in May 2017, calling the pleasantries a "total nonsense". In December 2017 analysts calculated the league fixture between the two sides as the Premier League's first billion pound game.
Ahead of Wenger's last game against United in April 2018,
Channel 5 aired an hour-long documentary titled "The Feud", described in a review by
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
as "exhilarating". In the build-up to the game, Fergsuon paid tribute to Wenger, saying he had always respected him in spite of the rivalry, and that the two clubs had "made the Premier League". United fans gave Wenger a standing ovation prior to the game at Old Trafford, which ended in a 2–1 defeat through a last-minute goal from
Marouane Fellaini
Marouane Fellaini-Bakkioui (born 22 November 1987) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Chinese club Shandong Taishan.
Born in Etterbeek to Moroccan parents, Fellaini played youth football for Anderlecht, R.A.E.C. ...
, a result described as "cruel yet predictable"; Arsenal had won one game in 15 years as the away team in the fixture.
Ferguson and Wenger
It was not until Wenger's arrival in October 1996 that Arsenal reemerged as a serious league competitor. By the end of the 1996–97 season, Manchester United amassed their fourth title in five seasons, whereas Arsenal finished the campaign in third – their highest position since the formation of the Premier League in 1992. During the season, Wenger commented on rule changes which permitted an extension to the league calendar: "It's wrong the programme is extended so Manchester United can rest and win everything." His observation irked Ferguson, who replied: "He has no experience of English football. He has come here from Japan, and now he is telling everyone how to organise our football. Unless you have been in the situation and had the experience then he should keep his mouth shut, firmly shut."
The relationship between both managers was evidently hostile to begin with. Ferguson noted that Wenger was the only manager he came across in the league not to share a drink with after matches – an English football "tradition". In 2009, Wenger said his discourtesy was mistaken for mistrust and managers "cannot be completely friendly and open up."
When asked if this was the reason he avoided the post-match drink, he replied: "Most of the time, yes. What can you say if you have won? And if you have lost all you want to do is get home and prepare for the next game."
![Alex Ferguson](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/14/Alex_Ferguson.jpg)
In January 2005, Ferguson and Wenger were embroiled in a new row over what had happened in the tunnel after ''Pizzagate''.
Ferguson alleged that Wenger called his players "cheats" and never apologised for his team's behaviour: "It's a disgrace, but I don't expect Wenger to ever apologise, he's that type of person."
Wenger then claimed Ferguson was guilty of bringing the game into disrepute; he told reporters that he "will never answer any questions any more about this man," but went further to question the motive of the press: "What I don't understand is that he does what he wants and you are all at his feet." Both managers came under pressure from the
Metropolitan Police Service
The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), formerly and still commonly known as the Metropolitan Police (and informally as the Met Police, the Met, Scotland Yard, or the Yard), is the territorial police force responsible for law enforcement and ...
, then Sports Minister
Richard Caborn
Richard George Caborn (born 6 October 1943) is a British politician who served as Minister of Sport from 2001 to 2007 and later as the prime minister's ambassador for England's 2018 FIFA World Cup bid. He previously served as a junior minister ...
and Premier League chairman
Richard Scudamore to put an end to the bickering. Ferguson and Wenger agreed to tone down their words, in an attempt to defuse the rivalry. In later years, Ferguson said Arsenal's defeat "scrambled Arsène’s brain" and caused their relationship to breakdown for almost five years.
The two managers have "exchanged some of football's best and bitterest verbal swipes," according to ''
The Daily Telegraph
''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally.
It was fo ...
''. In 1997, Ferguson called Wenger a "novice" for complaining about the fixture programme and later said of his linguistic skills: "They say he’s an intelligent man, right? Speaks five languages! I've got a 15-year-old boy from the Ivory Coast who speaks five languages!" After Arsenal's defeat to Manchester United in February 1997 – a match marred by a bust up between Wright and Schmeichel, Wenger referred to Ferguson's interference: "I was surprised to see Ferguson on the pitch because you can only play eleven." When Ferguson asserted that his team played the best football in England during the 2001–02 season, Wenger quipped: "Everyone thinks they have the prettiest wife at home," a remark that Ferguson initially suspected was a taunt at his own wife Cathy.
Such was the media's fascination of both managers' insults towards one another, psychologists were brought in to read and contrast their personalities. John Kramer, a sports psychologist suggested in 2004 that Ferguson and Wenger used their rivalry in order to relax before an important match. To him, Ferguson was "...the past master in terms of creating an environment of keeping his players hungry" by using a persecution complex; Wenger on the other hand diffuses the psychology and would rather "...tell his players they are all superb and will attempt to create an environment where they are able to show off their skills without the rest of it."
Kramer concluded that both managers' comments "add
to the drama", but was insignificant in the games between the two clubs.
Ferguson in his autobiography said a major turning point in his relationship with Wenger was after the Champions League semi-final of 2009; the Arsenal manager invited his competitor into the dressing room and congratulated him on United's win.
Wenger said their relationship had become genial since his team stopped competing with Manchester United for trophies.
The move to the Emirates Stadium in 2006 is often cited as the reason why, given it coincided with a transitional phase for the club. Several experienced first teamers were displaced in favour of youth and the style of football became shifted more towards ball retention. Ferguson assessed the change in philosophy proved that Wenger did not "like to blend them too much with older players;" he also felt the team lacked a much needed balance between attack and defence.
Television and radio broadcasts
The growth of the rivalry during the 1990s attracted the attention of broadcasters and has led to fixtures being rescheduled from the
3pm blackout period to primetime viewing in the United Kingdom. League matches are often broadcast on
Sky Sports
Sky Sports is a group of British subscription sports channels operated by the satellite pay television company Sky Group (a division of Comcast), and is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It ...
– once as early as 11:15am, while cup games have aired on mainstream channels,
BBC One
BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, p ...
and
ITV
ITV or iTV may refer to:
ITV
*Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of:
** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...
. At the height of the rivalry, the games on Sky had been billed as title deciders, and play was summarised by
Martin Tyler
Martin Tyler (born 14 September 1945) is an English football commentator. He has worked as a commentator for Sky Sports since 1990, covering the Premier League and UEFA Champions League, as well as other domestic and international competition ...
and
Andy Gray. The April 2003 match at Highbury, advertised as "Face Off", was seen by a British audience of 3.4 million, while the 2005 Cup final was watched by more than 480 million viewers worldwide.
In August 1999, the two sides participated in the world's first
interactive
Across the many fields concerned with interactivity, including information science, computer science, human-computer interaction, communication, and industrial design, there is little agreement over the meaning of the term "interactivity", but mo ...
football match, and 11 years later featured in the world's first 3D TV sports broadcast – both events trialled by Sky. To commemorate the 80th anniversary of the first radio football commentary, the BBC reintroduced its "grid system" to help listeners visualise the action between Arsenal and Manchester United in January 2007.
Musician
David Gray was enlisted as guest summariser, with
John Murray describing the action and
James Alexander Gordon calling out the grid numbers to explain where the ball was.
The rivalry was explored in an
ITV4
ITV4 is a Television in the United Kingdom, British free-to-air television channel which was launched on 1 November 2005. It is owned by ITV Digital Channels, a division of ITV plc, and is part of the ITV (TV network), ITV network. The channel h ...
special, ''Keane & Vieira: Best of Enemies'', first broadcast in December 2013. The documentary saw the former captains discussing about their relationship, views on their respective managers and what they thought of each other.
Footballers who have played for both clubs
Arsenal, then Manchester United
![Loco-Fener_(10)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Loco-Fener_%2810%29.jpg)
Manchester United, then Arsenal
Note: David Platt never played a senior game for United, Jim Leighton never played a senior game for Arsenal.
Statistics
All figures are correct as of 29 August 2020.
Honours
* Numbers with this background and symbol are italicised to denote club holds record in the competition.
Head-to-head
Records
*First competitive meeting: Newton Heath 3–3 Woolwich Arsenal – Second Division, 13 October 1894
*First FA Cup meeting: Manchester United 2–3 Arsenal – Fourth Round, 10 March 1906
*First Community Shield meeting: Arsenal 4–3 Manchester United –
Final
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
*Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event
** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of cont ...
, 6 October 1948
*First League Cup meeting: Arsenal 3–2 Manchester United – Second Round, 30 August 1977
*First European meeting: Manchester United 1–0 Arsenal – UEFA Champions League semi-final, 6 April 2009
*First away victory:
**Arsenal: Manchester United 0–1 Arsenal – Second Division, 15 March 1902
**Manchester United: Arsenal 0–2 Manchester United – Second Division, 3 April 1897
*Highest scoring game:
Manchester United 8–2 Arsenal – Premier League, 28 August 2011
*Largest winning margin:
**Arsenal: 5–0 – FA Cup fourth round, 30 January 1937
**Manchester United: 8–2 – Premier League, 28 August 2011
*Most consecutive wins:
**Arsenal: 4 (9 November 1997 – 20 September 1998)
**Manchester United: 5 (6 September 1983 – 24 August 1985)
*Longest undefeated run:
**Arsenal: 5 (5 April 1922 – 28 December 1926; 4 wins and 1 draw, 10 March 2019 – 30 January 2021; 3 wins and 2 draws)
**Manchester United: 9 (20 November 1954 – 11 October 1958; 6 wins and 3 draws)
*Most consecutive draws: 3 – 26 September 1981 to 25 September 1982
*Most meetings in a season: 5 –
1998–99 and
2004–05
*Most goals: 12 – Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)
*Most appearances: 50 – Ryan Giggs (Manchester United)
*Highest league attendance: 83,260 at
Maine Road
Maine Road was a football stadium in Moss Side, Manchester, England, that was home to Manchester City F.C. from 1923 to 2003. It hosted FA Cup semi-finals, the Charity Shield, a League Cup final and England matches. Maine Road's highest atte ...
, First Division, 17 January 1948
See also
*
List of sports rivalries in the United Kingdom
This is a list of the main sporting local derbies and other sports rivalries in the UK.
England
American football
*Bristol–South Wales rivalry: Bristol Aztecs vs. South Wales Warriors
*Cheshire derby: any match between Chester Romans, C ...
References
General
*
*
*
*
*
Specific
Further reading
*
External links
Classic Football: Arsenal–Manchester Unitedat FIFA.com
List of results between Manchester United and Arsenalat 11v11.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Arsenal F.C.-Manchester United F.C. Rivalry
Manchester United
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...
Manchester United F.C.
England football derbies