- Manchester United and Arsenal are bitter Premier League rivals
- Two sides no longer compete against one another in title races
- Gunners have historically struggled at Old Trafford
Arsenal and Manchester United may no longer be duelling for titles, but their rivalry remains bitter and has been taken to an alternate medium thanks to the prevalence of social media.
The significance of this fixture has been toned down somewhat in a post Fergie and Wenger world, but the borderline hatred which was once so prominent has doubtlessly permeated through to current times.
Arsenal's rise under Mikel Arteta combined with United's perpetual confusion post-Sir Alex has seen the Gunners emerge as the superior fighter in this duel, but head-to-head matchups between the two sides are still hotly contested.
Here's how the last ten games between Arsenal and Man Utd have panned out.
Arsenal 3-1 Man Utd - September 2023
Erik ten Hag seems to have a weird obsession with this game, frequently bringing it up as some sort of vindication for his 'project'.
Sure, this contest would've turned out very differently had Alejandro Garnacho's strike at the last stood, but Arsenal were comfortably superior after falling behind and were deserved winners.
After Garnacho's goal on the counter was ruled out, the Gunners struck twice in stoppage time to seal a memorable victory. £105m man Declan Rice announced himself to the Emirates faithful by netting the go-ahead goal before Gabriel Jesus coolly sealed the victory with a superbly-taken finish.
Arsenal 3-2 Man Utd - January 2023
There were some similarities between this game and their September 2023 tussle at the Emirates.
The Gunners, who were starting to emerge as a title contender under Arteta, were at their very best, but Marcus Rashford's fierce strike from distance and an Aaron Ramsdale flap from a corner meant the scores were level heading into the final few minutes.
In the end, back-up striker Eddie Nketiah, who'd already got himself on the scoresheet, produced the crucial moment for the dominant hosts as he scored a trademark poacher's effort in the final minute of the 90.
Man Utd 3-1 Arsenal - September 2022
Arsenal carried a swagger into Old Trafford having started the 2022/23 campaign with five straight wins.
It seemed as if their momentum would continue at the start of this encounter when Gabriel Martinelli opened the scoring within minutes, but the Brazilian's effort was chalked off for an earlier foul following VAR intervention.
The visitors struggled to recover thereafter, and despite Bukayo Saka cancelling out Antony's first Premier League goal, Rashford ran riot on the counter-attack after the hour as United inflicted the first defeat of the season upon the Gunners.
Arsenal 3-1 Man Utd - April 2022
United were in disarray at the end of the 2021/22 season. Ralf Rangnick's interim spell was nothing short of an unmitigated disaster, with the Red Devils, despite the presence of a returning Cristiano Ronaldo, limping to their worst points haul of the Premier League era.
Ronaldo got on the scoresheet at the Emirates and they weren't particularly bad here. Bruno Fernandes missed a crucial penalty which would've shifted momentum and handed the visitors a sniff of victory.
However, Granit Xhaka's strike 20 minutes from time saw Arsenal pull away once more, with their triumph handing them a big boost in their quest to secure a top-four spot.
Man Utd 3-2 Arsenal - December 2021
A 4-1 defeat at Watford meant Ole Gunnar Solskjaer got the boot, with caretaker boss Michael Carrick overseeing Arsenal's visit to the Theatre of Dreams in December 2021.
This was yet another topsy-turvy encounter between the two grand clubs. Emile Smith Rowe's controversial opener seemed to rile up the hosts, who responded through Bruno Fernandes just before half-time.
After the break, it was the Ronaldo show. The Portuguese's first of the night was swiftly cancelled out by a fine Martin Odegaard finish, but the United forward ensured he had the last say when he dispatched a penalty with 20 minutes remaining to seal all three points for the hosts.
Arsenal 0-0 Man Utd - January 2021
Bereft of soul (an empty Emirates) and quality, this stalemate is perhaps the most forgettable Arsenal/United clash of recent times.
United were the superior force here, taking on a mediocre and injury-hit Gunners in north London. They needed all three points to restore some momentum in the title race having been beaten by Sheffield United just days prior.
Chances did arrive at both ends, but Bernd Leno and David de Gea were in inspired form.
Man Utd 0-1 Arsenal - November 2020
You might remember this bout for the post-match discussion between Tim Cahill and Roy Keane. Cahill, backing up former teammate Arteta, has since been proven right regarding the direction Arsenal were heading in under the Spaniard.
This was a rare Old Trafford victory for the Gunners, and a significant one for the Arteta project. Arsenal displayed plenty of grit and resilience away at a 'Big Six' club to earn a victory which didn't do much for them in 2020/21, but showed Arteta's players were starting to buy into his grand idea.
New signings Gabriel and Thomas Partey were excellent for the visitors as a Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang penalty decided the game.
Arsenal 2-0 Man Utd - January 2020
The Arteta project was barely a month old when United rocked up to the Emirates on New Year's Day.
While Arsenal's victory later in the year showed off their resilience, this performance teased their attacking exuberance with Arteta at the helm. The Spaniard's reign had started off fairly slowly, but everything kicked into gear against the Red Devils.
Nicolas Pepe opened the scoring with a sweeping finish before Sokratis doubled the hosts' lead before half-time. The visitors rallied after the break, but Arteta's men held on for a big win to kick-off the new year.
Man Utd 1-1 Arsenal - September 2019
Billed as a bout between two fallen giants, this 1-1 draw at the start of the 2019/20 season was drenched in low-quality chaos.
Scott McTominay opened the scoring for United with a pinpoint effort from distance, but VAR ensured Arsenal were level on the hour.
Aubameyang's deft equaliser was initially ruled out by the linesman's flag, but replays showed Harry Maguire to be playing the Gabonese forward onside by a few yards.
Bukayo Saka and Marcus Rashford each came close to scoring potential winners at 1-1.
Arsenal 2-0 Man Utd - March 2019
Arsenal finally inflicted the first defeat of the Solskjaer era in north London, with the Gunners cruising to a 2-0 win.
This was an important victory for Unai Emery's Gunners at the time, as they leapfrogged their opponents to climb into the top four.
De Gea's error from a Xhaka drive from distance saw the hosts take and early lead, and although United were dominant in the first half thereafter, they proved mightily wasteful in front of goal.
An Aubameyang penalty midway through the second half eased any tension inside the Emirates with Arsenal holding off any late Red Devil assault
Man Utd vs Arsenal - Last 10 results
Date | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|
3 September 2023 | Arsenal 3-1 Man Utd | Premier League |
22 January 2023 | Arsenal 3-2 Man Utd | Premier League |
4 September 2022 | Man Utd 3-1 Arsenal | Premier League |
23 April 2022 | Arsenal 3-1 Man Utd | Premier League |
2 December 2021 | Man Utd 3-2 Arsenal | Premier League |
3 January 2021 | Arsenal 0-0 Man Utd | Premier League |
1 November 2020 | Man Utd 0-1 Arsenal | Premier League |
1 January 2020 | Arsenal 2-0 Man Utd | Premier League |
30 September 2019 | Man Utd 1-1 Arsenal | Premier League |
10 March 2019 | Arsenal 2-0 Man Utd | Premier League |
