Arsenal v Manchester United is one Premier League’s most famous rivalries, and here we look back on the greatest ever matches between the two sides.
The rivalry between Arsenal and Manchester United ramped up to peak levels in the 1990s and 2000s when both teams were regularly challenging for top honours under Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson, battling out in some titanic tussles through those years to strike a blow in their chase for silverware.
While both of those legendary managers have long since departed and either one or both clubs have endured periods of decline, expect no love to be lost when the pair square off in this season’s third encounter as they look to perhaps re-live a blast from the past to ignite a strong finish to this campaign.
Read on to find out our top five Arsenal v Man Utd matches, and for more information on the Gunners check out our top 10 Arsenal players of all time.
When do Arsenal play Man Utd?
The next Arsenal v Man Utd match will be played on Sunday 9 March at 16:30 GMT. The game will take place at Old Trafford in Manchester and will be the second Premier League meeting between the sides this season. The first league game between the two finished 2-0 to Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium in December.
Arsenal and Manchester United also met in the FA Cup Third Round in January 2025. The game finished 1-1 after extra time, and United ultimately won 6-4 on penalties.
Arsenal will be the favourites in the football betting to win this final meeting of the season, with the Gunners attempting to keep their slim Premier League title hopes alive.
Top 5 Arsenal v Man Utd matches
5. Arsenal 2-4 Manchester United, Premier League, 1 February 2005
This game may well be best known for the pre-match altercation in the tunnel between Patrick Vieira and Roy Keane, and it certainly set the tone for a tempestuous and ill-tempered but goal-laden affair.
Vieira quickly shrugged off the pre-match spat with an early goal before Bergkamp restored the Gunners’ lead after Ashley Cole had inadvertently deflected a Giggs strike into his own net.
However, Cristiano Ronaldo bagged a brace before the hour mark to turn the game on its head, only for Mikael Silvestre to be sent off with a little over 20 minutes to go. United managed to survive, though, with John O’Shea sealing the win when he chipped Manuel Almunia in the final minutes.
4. Manchester United 2-0 Arsenal, Premier League, 24 October 2004
While this match may not have been an absolute classic, there was no doubting its significance, particularly for Arsenal.
The Gunners had gone the previous season unbeaten in the league and were riding a record-breaking 49-match unbeaten run going to Old Trafford. However, Wayne Rooney scored a controversial penalty to put the Red Devils in front and later added a second to put an end to the Gunners’ “Invincibles” tag, although the fallout continued long after the final whistle.
Tempers boiled over in the tunnel, all sorts of accusations were hurled around, as was a slice of pizza at Ferguson – and Arsenal have not won the league title since.
3. Manchester United 0-1 Arsenal, Premier League, 14 March 1998
Arsenal had struggled to make an impact at Old Trafford in the Premier League, but this could have been the defining win for the Gunners as they marked themselves as one of the best teams in the country with a decisive victory at the home of the two-time defending champions.
Arsenal had not scored at Old Trafford – let alone win – since October 1991, going into their trip there in 1998, while they trailed United by nine points in the title race.
However, Marc Overmars popped up with a clinical winner late on, Arsenal would go on to win the title and Arsene Wenger’s men would confirm themselves as one of the dominant forces in the English game.
2. Arsenal 3-2 Manchester United, Premier League, 22 January 2023
United’s trip to the Emirates in the 2022/23 season was a modern classic, with Arsenal leading the Premier League at the time and looking to maintain their hold on the title race.
The Gunners were under pressure after chasers Manchester City had won earlier in the day, and the tension ramped up after a superb strike from Marcus Rashford gave the visitors the lead in the first half.
Arsenal responded through Eddie Nketiah before Bukayo Saka scored a wondergoal of his own, cutting inside onto his left foot and firing into the bottom corner from outside the box, and then imitated Rashford’s trademark celebration in front of the home fans.
United pulled level with an instinctive header from Lisandro Martinez, piling the pressure back onto a young Arsenal side who hadn’t been expected to be challenge before the season began, but but now clung onto a lead atop the table.
Mikel Arteta’s side pushed on for a winner and broke United’s will in the 90th minute as Nketiah – filling in admirably for the injured Gabriel Jesus – flicked home to spark delirious celebrations in north London.
1. Arsenal 1-2 Manchester United, FA Cup, 14 April 1999
While the 1998/99 season will go down as one of the best in United history, there was not much to separate these two sides with the Red Devils ultimately winning the Premier League title by a point, despite a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford and a 3-0 defeat at Highbury in the league.
After a goalless draw in the first semi-final attempt at Villa Park, the replay at the same venue just three days later served up a classic that had everything – and a goal deserving to win any game.
David Beckham scored early for United before Dennis Bergkamp restored parity in the 69th minute, only for the game to seemingly swing in favour of Arsenal when Roy Keane was sent off with a quarter of an hour to go.
Bergkamp had the chance to win it for the Gunners but saw his late penalty saved by Peter Schmeichel before Ryan Giggs scored one of the best-ever goals in the competition in the second period of extra time to keep United’s treble bid alive.
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