UNITED V ARSENAL: 10 SIGNIFICANT GAMES
Matches between Manchester United and Arsenal have had continuous heavyweight billing for the last 20 years, ever since Arsene Wenger stepped into the ring and guided the Gunners to third place behind the Reds in his first English football season, 1996/97.
Here we take a look at ten of the most significant contests across three different competitions...
United 0-1 Arsenal, 14 March 1998, Premier League
This crucial game reopened the title race when Marc Overmars’s 79th-minute goal left the Gunners just six points behind the pacesetting Reds with two months left in the season. A pivotal win for Arsene's Wenger's men, it paved the way for the North London side to overtake United and land their first league championship since 1991 with two games to spare.
Arsenal 1-2 United, 14 April 1999, FA Cup semi-final replayAfter more than three hours of play were only punctuated by an opening goal from David Beckham and an equaliser from Dennis Bergkamp in the rematch, it looked as if United's Treble bid would be tested by a penalty shootout. Ryan Giggs had another idea... deep into extra-time, the Welshman glided through the opposition ranks like a knife through butter before crashing the ball into the roof of the net. Arsenal goalkeeper David Seaman and his shattered back four were bewildered while Giggs’s shirt-whirling celebration, not to mention the goal itself, went down in history.
United 6-1 Arsenal, 25 February 2001, Premier League
This game marked the Reds' biggest win over the Gunners (at the time!) and all but secured the club’s seventh Premier League title by moving Sir Alex Ferguson's men 16 points clear with only 10 games left to play. In the opening 22 minutes of the game, Dwight Yorke netted a clinical hat-trick, and with the help of Roy Keane and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, United went in 5-1 up at half-time. Thierry Henry had initially levelled the scores following Yorke’s opener, but it proved only a brief respite for the visitors, as the Reds ruthlessly tore through Arsenal. Former Tottenham striker Teddy Sheringham rubbed salt in the wound with the hosts' sixth goal in injury time.
United 0-1 Arsenal, 8 May 2002, Premier League
The Gunners travelled north knowing that they just needed one point to win the Double at Old Trafford, following their FA Cup final win over Chelsea just a few days beforehand. On his 100th Arsenal appearance, Sylvain Wiltord scored the all-important goal in the 55th minute, sealing a special season for the Gunners who were confirmed champions without a single away defeat. It was a night to forget for everyone of a United persuasion as the travelling fans gleefully revelled in a famous win.
Arsenal 2-2 United, 16 April 2003, Premier League
When the Reds headed to Highbury in the spring of 2003, it was without doubt one of the most hotly anticipated matches in the Premier League era to date. Games that bring with them expectation of this level often fail to deliver, but both sides made this a clash to remember as Sir Alex’s side emerged with a three-point lead and long unbeaten run in the league still intact. The Reds' resilience and determination were evident early on when Ruud van Nistelrooy powered his way towards goal, deftly chipping over Arsenal goalkeeper Stuart Taylor to hand United the lead. Undeterred, the home side roared back after the interval with two goals from Thierry Henry that seemingly put them in the box seat. However, the Gunners' hopes were once again scuppered by that man Ryan Giggs, who headed home an Ole Gunnar Solskjaer cross to level the scores and secure an immensely valuable point for the visitors.
United 0-1 Arsenal, 14 March 1998, Premier League
This crucial game reopened the title race when Marc Overmars’s 79th-minute goal left the Gunners just six points behind the pacesetting Reds with two months left in the season. A pivotal win for Arsene's Wenger's men, it paved the way for the North London side to overtake United and land their first league championship since 1991 with two games to spare.
Arsenal 1-2 United, 14 April 1999, FA Cup semi-final replayAfter more than three hours of play were only punctuated by an opening goal from David Beckham and an equaliser from Dennis Bergkamp in the rematch, it looked as if United's Treble bid would be tested by a penalty shootout. Ryan Giggs had another idea... deep into extra-time, the Welshman glided through the opposition ranks like a knife through butter before crashing the ball into the roof of the net. Arsenal goalkeeper David Seaman and his shattered back four were bewildered while Giggs’s shirt-whirling celebration, not to mention the goal itself, went down in history.
United 6-1 Arsenal, 25 February 2001, Premier League
This game marked the Reds' biggest win over the Gunners (at the time!) and all but secured the club’s seventh Premier League title by moving Sir Alex Ferguson's men 16 points clear with only 10 games left to play. In the opening 22 minutes of the game, Dwight Yorke netted a clinical hat-trick, and with the help of Roy Keane and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, United went in 5-1 up at half-time. Thierry Henry had initially levelled the scores following Yorke’s opener, but it proved only a brief respite for the visitors, as the Reds ruthlessly tore through Arsenal. Former Tottenham striker Teddy Sheringham rubbed salt in the wound with the hosts' sixth goal in injury time.
United 0-1 Arsenal, 8 May 2002, Premier League
The Gunners travelled north knowing that they just needed one point to win the Double at Old Trafford, following their FA Cup final win over Chelsea just a few days beforehand. On his 100th Arsenal appearance, Sylvain Wiltord scored the all-important goal in the 55th minute, sealing a special season for the Gunners who were confirmed champions without a single away defeat. It was a night to forget for everyone of a United persuasion as the travelling fans gleefully revelled in a famous win.
Arsenal 2-2 United, 16 April 2003, Premier League
When the Reds headed to Highbury in the spring of 2003, it was without doubt one of the most hotly anticipated matches in the Premier League era to date. Games that bring with them expectation of this level often fail to deliver, but both sides made this a clash to remember as Sir Alex’s side emerged with a three-point lead and long unbeaten run in the league still intact. The Reds' resilience and determination were evident early on when Ruud van Nistelrooy powered his way towards goal, deftly chipping over Arsenal goalkeeper Stuart Taylor to hand United the lead. Undeterred, the home side roared back after the interval with two goals from Thierry Henry that seemingly put them in the box seat. However, the Gunners' hopes were once again scuppered by that man Ryan Giggs, who headed home an Ole Gunnar Solskjaer cross to level the scores and secure an immensely valuable point for the visitors.
Arsenal 0-1 United, 3 April 2004, FA Cup semi-final
With the Gunners unbeaten in the league all season and United’s form indifferent at best, there were few who fancied the Reds going into this one. This school of thought was further backed up by the loss of the Reds' star forward van Nistelrooy through injury and few were surprised when Arsenal flew out of the traps and almost took the lead when Patrick Viera hit the woodwork and Dennis Bergkamp had an effort cleared off the line. United dug deep though and forged ahead just past the half-hour mark when Paul Scholes timed his run to perfection and fired home from Ryan Giggs’ pull-back. A well-drilled performance followed, preventing any sniff of an Arsenal resurgence and booking a berth in the final at the Millenium Stadium in Cardiff, where United emerged as comfortable victors against a spirited Millwall outfit.
United 2-0 Arsenal, 24 October 2004, Premier League
This game sounded the death knell for the Gunners' incredible unbeaten run in the league, stretching back 49 games. Van Nistelrooy exorcised the demons of his penalty miss against Arsenal in the previous season, slotting home from the spot to make it 1-0 before Wayne Rooney put the result beyond all doubt with a close-range finish in stoppage time. Tensions ran high throughout the match - with ferocious tackles flying in left, right and centre - and afterwards when disgruntled visitors threw food at Sir Alex before his post-match interview! At the time, the result felt hugely significant for United, but neither the Reds nor Arsenal would go on to win the title that season. Chelsea did it instead, under the management of one Jose Mourinho.
Arsenal 0-0 United (5-4 on penalties), 21 May 2005, FA Cup final
The second cup final between the clubs had the drama of the first one in 1979 - when Arsenal won 3-2 - but none of the goals! The Reds dominated the game but just could not find a breakthrough with Rio Ferdinand's first-half strike ruled out for offside and Rooney and van Nistelrooy both spurning presentable chances to score. The Gunners' Jose Antonio Reyes was sent off late on, but this did little to help the Reds’ cause as a tense clash went to penalties. Both sides started well in the shootout, dispatching their first penalties coolly under immense pressure, but Paul Scholes’s miss created a gap in United’s scorecard and would ultimately allow Arsenal captain Patrick Viera to net the winning kick.
Arsenal 1-3 United, 5 May 2009, Champions League semi-final second leg
The Reds were aiming to become the first club to win consecutive European Cups since the Champions League format began, the Gunners were seeking their first ever triumph in the competition and there was only John O'Shea's goal separating the sides from the first leg at Old Trafford. The stage was set for a tight game, right? Wrong. The men from Manchester played with speed, energy and power from the outset and Wenger’s side just could not cope as United swept into an aggregate 4-0 lead. Ji-sung Park netted early on before Cristiano Ronaldo added a further two – one a blistering free kick and the other an exemplary example of counter-attacking football. Robin van Persie scored a penalty for Arsenal, awarded following Darren Fletcher’s harsh dismissal, but it was only a consolation goal as Sir Alex's men marched on to face but lose to Barcelona in the final.
United 8-2 Arsenal, 28 August 2011, Premier League
A significant match simply for the sheer amount of goals, it replaced the scintillating 6-1 win of 10 years earlier as the Reds' record win against the Gunners. Arsenal were missing an array of first-team stars but this shouldn’t detract from an excellent United performance, full of attacking intent from the get-go. Rooney notched an impressive hat-trick, with Danny Welbeck, Park, Nani and Ashley Young (with two wonderful efforts) also netting. At the other end David De Gea saved Robin van Persie’s spot kick, although the Dutchman did go on to find the net for the visitors, as did Theo Walcott. Carl Jenkinson’s dismissal added insult to injury for Arsenal in their ultimate nightmare at the Theatre of Dreams.
With the Gunners unbeaten in the league all season and United’s form indifferent at best, there were few who fancied the Reds going into this one. This school of thought was further backed up by the loss of the Reds' star forward van Nistelrooy through injury and few were surprised when Arsenal flew out of the traps and almost took the lead when Patrick Viera hit the woodwork and Dennis Bergkamp had an effort cleared off the line. United dug deep though and forged ahead just past the half-hour mark when Paul Scholes timed his run to perfection and fired home from Ryan Giggs’ pull-back. A well-drilled performance followed, preventing any sniff of an Arsenal resurgence and booking a berth in the final at the Millenium Stadium in Cardiff, where United emerged as comfortable victors against a spirited Millwall outfit.
United 2-0 Arsenal, 24 October 2004, Premier League
This game sounded the death knell for the Gunners' incredible unbeaten run in the league, stretching back 49 games. Van Nistelrooy exorcised the demons of his penalty miss against Arsenal in the previous season, slotting home from the spot to make it 1-0 before Wayne Rooney put the result beyond all doubt with a close-range finish in stoppage time. Tensions ran high throughout the match - with ferocious tackles flying in left, right and centre - and afterwards when disgruntled visitors threw food at Sir Alex before his post-match interview! At the time, the result felt hugely significant for United, but neither the Reds nor Arsenal would go on to win the title that season. Chelsea did it instead, under the management of one Jose Mourinho.
Arsenal 0-0 United (5-4 on penalties), 21 May 2005, FA Cup final
The second cup final between the clubs had the drama of the first one in 1979 - when Arsenal won 3-2 - but none of the goals! The Reds dominated the game but just could not find a breakthrough with Rio Ferdinand's first-half strike ruled out for offside and Rooney and van Nistelrooy both spurning presentable chances to score. The Gunners' Jose Antonio Reyes was sent off late on, but this did little to help the Reds’ cause as a tense clash went to penalties. Both sides started well in the shootout, dispatching their first penalties coolly under immense pressure, but Paul Scholes’s miss created a gap in United’s scorecard and would ultimately allow Arsenal captain Patrick Viera to net the winning kick.
Arsenal 1-3 United, 5 May 2009, Champions League semi-final second leg
The Reds were aiming to become the first club to win consecutive European Cups since the Champions League format began, the Gunners were seeking their first ever triumph in the competition and there was only John O'Shea's goal separating the sides from the first leg at Old Trafford. The stage was set for a tight game, right? Wrong. The men from Manchester played with speed, energy and power from the outset and Wenger’s side just could not cope as United swept into an aggregate 4-0 lead. Ji-sung Park netted early on before Cristiano Ronaldo added a further two – one a blistering free kick and the other an exemplary example of counter-attacking football. Robin van Persie scored a penalty for Arsenal, awarded following Darren Fletcher’s harsh dismissal, but it was only a consolation goal as Sir Alex's men marched on to face but lose to Barcelona in the final.
United 8-2 Arsenal, 28 August 2011, Premier League
A significant match simply for the sheer amount of goals, it replaced the scintillating 6-1 win of 10 years earlier as the Reds' record win against the Gunners. Arsenal were missing an array of first-team stars but this shouldn’t detract from an excellent United performance, full of attacking intent from the get-go. Rooney notched an impressive hat-trick, with Danny Welbeck, Park, Nani and Ashley Young (with two wonderful efforts) also netting. At the other end David De Gea saved Robin van Persie’s spot kick, although the Dutchman did go on to find the net for the visitors, as did Theo Walcott. Carl Jenkinson’s dismissal added insult to injury for Arsenal in their ultimate nightmare at the Theatre of Dreams.
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