“Manchester United against Arsenal – if you could go back for one game, then that would be the game.”

By: Martin | May 15th, 2009

So said Roy Keane when asked if he could go back for one game in his career, and I think it’s apt. There’s no doubt we’ve fallen off a bit in the last couple of seasons, but Arsenal still has more wins against Manchester United since Alex Ferguson has taken the reins than any other club in the Premiership, and for me this rivalry hasn’t lost any of its ferocity.

I was a little unsure as to how to proceed with this preview, given that there’s very little concrete at stake for Arsenal in this match. But it’s Manchester United, and it’s pride, and so it still matters, and it always will. And then I saw what the boys over at the Manchester United section of The Offside did for the preview, which was brilliant, and so I’m inspired to respond.

Arsenal and Manchester United do, of course, have a storied rivalry, and Arsenal have certainly come out on top a fair share of the time.

To start with, of course, there were the unforgettable Roy Keane-Patrick Vieira pre-game tunnel bust-ups:

Instant Karma

2003. Ruud van Nistelrooy takes an egregious dive to get Vieira sent off, and has a penalty kick to win the game, but misses it badly, and the Arsenal players, particularly Martin Keown, let him have it. (This video also includes highlights of the 1990 brawl which resulted in the deduction of points from both sides):

3-0

The 1998-1999 Manchester United team is one of the strongest squads that that club, or any other, has fielded in recent memory. That club featured David Beckham, Roy Keane, both Nevilles, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Peter Schmeichel, and Dwight Yorke. It became the first club to win the treble of the FA Cup, the League, and the Champions League. And yet the team didn’t trouble Arsenal at Highbury at all–Tony Adams, Anelka, and Freddie Ljungberg all got on the sheet as Arsenal won 3-0. Unfortunately, United eked out a 1-1 draw in the second game between the two teams at Old Trafford, and that turned out to be the difference, as United finished one point ahead of the Gunners at the end of the season.

Vieira goes out on a high note

Patrick Vieira was an Arsenal legend, and what better way to leave a club than by stepping up to take the final penalty to give your club the FA Cup over your bitter rivals?

1998

The year Arsenal reestablished itself as an elite club under Wenger’s leadership, and it all started on March 14. Manchester United were 9 points clear of Arsenal, and Ferguson had said that the title was a “foregone conclusion.” Except it wasn’t. Marc Overmars 80th minute goal sealed a 1-0 Gunners win to cut United’s lead to 6 points. United folded like origami down the stretch, Arsenal went on a 10-match unbeaten run to capture its first title in 7 years.

The five-minute cup final

Arsenal were in control the entire match in the 1979 FA Cup final, until United mounted a dramatic comeback to equalize the score. It was headed for extra time with just a minute left…

Watch 1979 FA Cup Final in Sports | View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

Well, that’s an interesting little jaunt down history lane, to better times than these. Hopefully Arsenal can get our act together in the coming seasons so we can start getting some more big victories over United. Tomorrow wouldn’t qualify as a big win, but it would be a measure of salvation from the ass-kicking we got over two legs in the Champions League semis, and it would give us the league double over them this year.

Who knows what Wenger is doing with the lineup at this point. I imagine we’ll see something like our best team out there tomorrow, although it wouldn’t surprise if Wenger gave a couple of the younger players a run out. Also noteworthy is Arshavin making his debut against Manchester United–wouldn’t it be great to see the “Shhhhhhh” celebration given to the crowd at OT? Yes. Yes it would:

Almunia

Sagna-Toure-Djourou-Gibbs

Walcott-Fabregas-Song-Arshavin

Adebayor-van Persie

If you said to yourself, “Martin, why Djourou instead of Silvestre? Isn’t that just wishful thinking?” My answer to you is “yes.” Maybe if I keep putting Djourou in instead of Silvestre it will eventually happen. I also had no idea where Wenger is going to play Arshavin, so I put him on the left, even though apparently he’s been complaining to his agent about having to play on the left. I do think he’s better in the striker or supporting striker role. But he pretty much plays his own game, no matter where he’s supposed to be playing nominally, so it’s really just a question of who gets left out of the squad. It is entirely possible that Nasri could play and one of the group of Walcott, van Persie, or Adebayor could start on the bench. I’ve given up on trying to predict the diabolical machinations of a man who thinks Abou Diaby is good at football.

So here’s to a good result tomorrow. The squad’s confidence is extremely low at the moment, and a good result at Old Trafford, in addition to the usual satisfaction of beating United, would give the team a big confidence boost heading into the summer and next season.

Come on Arsenal.