Match of the Day: Arsenal v Man Utd

In the mid 1990s and early 2000s, this match up was the most eagerly awaited in the Premier League. It produced passion, brilliant skills, drama, blood, tears and, above all, it produced the title winners. There was a bitter rivalry which bordered on hatred between the two managers. This was transferred to the club captains, notably Patrick Vieira for Arsenal and Roy Keane of Manchester United. Players on both teams always knew they were in for war any time they met. Both managers motivated their players and wound them up so much that when they got on the pitch they were ready to kill or die for the three points. As the battles were going on on the pitch, the managers, Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger were going at it on the touchline. Most of the time it took the intervention of the fourth official to prevent the two managers from exchanging blows.

However, just as it started, the bitter rivalry came to a natural end on  May 21, 2005 when Arsenal beat Manchester United in the FA Cup final. That was the last official top flight game of the season and come the following season, the two clubs came out with different focus and ambitions. While Arsenal concentrated on building a new stadium and started getting rid of big earners in the club in a bid to recoup money, Manchester United’s Alex Ferguson became more determined to fulfill his promise of knocking Liverpool off their fancy perch.

The emergence of Roman Abramovic of Chelsea with all his billion pounds and the “Special One” did not help Arsenal’s case. So they downgraded their ambitions  from title contenders to Champions League qualification candidates. They quite literally took the back seat while Chelsea took over their place as Manchester United’s main competition for the Premiership title. The rivalry between Ferguson and Wenger mellowed over the years that by the time the Scottish legend was retiring in 2013, they were practically friends!!!

Before this Saturday’s game between Arsenal and Manchester United, both clubs have met 226 times. United have won 94 times, lost 82 times with the remaining 50 matches ending in draws. The first official meeting between both sides was on October 13, 1894 and it ended in a 3-3 draw. That was in the old second division. The first win between them came the following March when Woolwich Arsenal (as the Gunners were then called) defeated Newton Heath  (as the Red Devils were then called) 3-2.

The largest victory between them came on August 28, 2011 when United defeated their rivals 8-2,the leading goalscorer in the several meet ups is Wayne Rooney with 12 goals and Ryan Giggs has made the most appearance, having played against Arsenal 50 times.

Gradually, the rivalry is returning, both clubs are now developing realistic chances of fighting for the title once again. With Manchester City flying away, second place Manchester United can not afford to lose to Arsenal on Saturday, otherwise, if they lose and City win, they will be going into the Manchester derby ELEVEN points behind their city rivals. They may as well kiss their title ambitions goodbye, at least for this season. However, if United win and City miraculously lose at home to West Ham, United will be going into the derby only five points behind and they can further cut it to three points if they beat Pep Guardiola and his boys. That would be game on. That is the stuff story books are made of. The reality on the ground is that the way United have been playing, it is very unlikely they will be able to beat Arsenal at the Emirates stadium AND defeat City the following week. More realistically, there is no way troubled West Ham will defeat Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium. You can bet your house on it. Football may not be mathematics, but some things are just too impossible to happen.