Arsenal vs Man Utd may have lost the even nature and fiery streak of the late 1990s and early 2000s, but it remains one of the most enticing matches in football.
Many wars have been fought between these historic enemies and the pendulum has often swung dramatically between north London and the red half of Manchester. Another part arrives on Sunday afternoon in the third round of the FA Cup – a first duel in the competition since 2019.
Neither team comes into the encounter at their best and the weekend’s clash is shrouded in an air of uncertainty, even though hosts Arsenal begin the competition as favourites.
But what do previous encounters indicate about the coming battle at the Emirates Stadium? Let’s relive the last five meetings between Arsenal and Man Utd.
A little over a month has passed since the last battle between these old rivals. The arena was the Emirates and it was another ill-fated trip to north London for Man Utd, who lost to Tottenham Hotspur two weeks later.
It was certainly not a classic episode in what was Ruben Amorim’s first defeat as Man Utd manager, with Arsenal’s set-piece prowess showing. Two corner routines paid off as Jurrien Timber and William Saliba got their names on the scoresheet during the second half.
Man Utd managed just two shots on target and created no big chances, with Arsenal also blunted in open play during an unspectacular affair.
Arsenal were desperate for a first Premier League title in two decades during the latter stages of last season and their penultimate match came at Old Trafford. It’s not a venue that has often proved successful for the Gunners before, but Erik ten Hag’s uninspiring Red Devils made life too easy for their opponents.
Leandro Trossard’s 20th-minute goal was all that separated the sides at the final whistle, with victory ensuring Arsenal’s Premier League title race goes into the final day. Manchester City were secretly backing their local foes for this particular duel, but were ultimately disappointed.
However, that mattered little at the end of the following weekend, with Man City’s victory over West Ham United on the final day securing another title for Pep Guardiola’s side.
Arsenal may have exhausted all the drama from this match when the teams first meet in 2023/24. An early-season clash between the giants was deadlocked at 1-1 before the dying embers of injury time, with Alejandro Garnacho seeing a likely winner ruled out for an incredibly marginal offside in the 88th minute.
But set pieces once again proved an asset for Arsenal, with Bukayo Saka’s deep delivery returned by Declan Rice in the sixth minute of injury time via a deflection from veteran centre-back Jonny Evans. Wild celebrations inside the Emirates were repeated five minutes later.
This time, it was a set piece from Man Utd that played into Arsenal’s hands. The Gunners quickly cleared a free-kick and ran away as they chased a two-goal advantage in the 101st minute, with Gabriel Jesus converting the counter-attack to wrap up the points and score an opening goal against Man Utd.
The start of a four-game winning streak for Arsenal in this match came at the start of 2023. Another home triumph in the Premier League, Mikel Arteta’s side once again left the match late in heartbreak from Man Utd.
The momentum shifted steadily during a thrilling encounter which began with Marcus Rashford’s opener, before Eddie Nketiah equalized just seven minutes later. The tables turned in the second half when Lisandro Martinez’s header equalized for Man Utd six minutes after Saka had scored for the hosts.
Arsenal dominated for long periods and looked set to waste a great chance, but Nketiah’s 90th-minute strike secured a deserved late victory for the Gunners, who had created an expected goal total of 3.25 to 0.36 for their visitors.
We have to go back to September 2022 for the last time Man Utd beat Arsenal in a competitive match. In fact, it was so long ago that Antony scored on his debut, with Old Trafford believing they had witnessed the arrival of an all-conquering new signing. It didn’t really go as planned.
But regardless of Antony’s subsequent deterioration, Man Utd came away with all three points thanks to the Brazilian’s opener. Gabriel Martinelli had an effort ruled out for a questionable foul earlier in the match, but Saka eventually managed to equalize on the hour mark.
This parity did not last long, however, with Rashford’s double in the space of nine minutes settling a balanced match.
