Manchester United face Arsenal in this weekend’s clash, and while both teams aren’t battling at the top of the table like the good ol’ days, you can be sure that the game will be an intense and entertaining affair.

So what was it like when these two giant sides faced in previous years? As a warm-up for the big game, we take a look back at FIVE memorable Manchester United vs Arsenal encounters in the Premier League era.

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Manchester United 0-1 Arsenal. May 2002.

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The game was not a brilliant display of football, but it will forever be remembered by Arsenal fans as the day they won the league by beating Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Sylvain Wiltord was the hero as he scored the winner in the 58th minute which signified the end to Manchester United’s dominance over the Premier League, and the squad became the foundation of what was to become the Invincibles.

Manchester United 0-0 Arsenal. September 2003.

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Called ‘The Battle of Old Trafford’, The goal-less but tense affair got controversial when Patrick Vieira was sent off for a “kick” towards United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy, resulting in the Frenchman receiving a second yellow.

But the clash exploded when Van Nistelrooy proceeded to miss a penalty with virtually the last kick of the match, and the game turned into a brawl after Martin Keown taunted the Dutchman for his subsequent miss.

If that ball went in, then Arsenal would have lost the game, and would have never gone the entire season unbeaten.

Manchester United 2-0 Arsenal. October 2004.

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Over a year later, Ruud Van Nistelrooy managed to avenge his humiliation the previous season by helping United end Arsenal’s 49-game unbeaten run.

The Red Devils purchased Wayne Rooney at the beginning of the year and the Englishman was fouled by Sol Campbell in the box, allowing Van Nistelrooy to exorcise his demons and put Man United into the lead.

And Wayne Rooney popped up with a late goal to seal the game, making it an extremely happy birthday for Rooney who turned 19 that day.

Manchester United 8-2 Arsenal. August 2011

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The sheer scale of the loss sums up what must be the worst ever Premier League game for Arsene Wenger and Arsenal fans, and thus a memorable encounter.

Danny Welbeck put Man United into an early lead but the game could have been all so different not long later.

Theo Walcott was tripped in the box and Robin van Persie stepped up to talk the penalty, only for new summer signing David de Gea to dive down and save his rather weak attempt.

And from then on the Red Devils went on an absolute rampage, with Rooney scoring a hat-trick and Ashley Young bagging a brace. No one could see any other team dethrone United as champions.

That’s because no one knew how good Sergio Aguero really was after just signing for Manchester City.

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Manchester United 2-1 Arsenal AET. April 1999.

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The game will be most remembered for Ryan Gigg’s famous one-man show goal, which actually hides the fact that the match was one of the greatest encounters in the two club’s history.

In an FA Cup semi-final replay, David Beckham put United into the lead but midway through the second-half, Dennis Bergkamp equalized for the Gunners to tie the game at 1-1.

But the game changed completely when United captain Roy Keane was sent off, before Arsenal earned a last minute penalty and it seemed Arsene Wenger’s men would walk away with the title.

However Peter Scmeichel saved Bergkamp’s penalty, forcing the game into extra time in which Giggs decided to ignore all his team-mates and win the game all by himself.

The Red Devils went on to beat Newcastle in the final, and ultimately Bayern Munich in the Champions League showdown to achieve an unprecedented treble.

Luis Suarez has urged his former club Liverpool not to panic and to stand by Brendan Rodgers as they look to secure Champions League qualification for next season.

The Uruguayan ace – who netted 31 goals for the Reds last term – left Anfield to join Barcelona in a £75m deal over the summer, in what has widely been hailed as the major reason in the Merseysiders’ dip in form.

Liverpool took the Premier League title race to the final day of 2013/14, but were ultimately unable to lift the trophy.

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Yet, the campaign as a whole has gone down as one of the club’s most exciting in recent memory, with a return to the Champions League booked while exciting football was witnessed.

Yet with Rodgers’ side sitting in midtable and out of Europe’s biggest competition already, many fans of the Kop club are calling for the Northern Irishman to be dismissed.

However, Suarez believes that his former boss is the right man to get Liverpool into the top four once again, or win the Europa League:

“Liverpool will be disappointed not to progress out of their group, but the most important thing is that they were back playing at the highest level this season and it gives them something to build on,” he is quoted by The Metro.

“The reason they were back playing Champions League football is because of Brendan Rodgers – and he is the right man to guide them back there again next season.

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“They must qualify for The Champions League next season. If it comes via the league or winning the Europa League – it is not important how.

“This season can’t be a one off, though, because the Champions League is where the club belongs and it is what the fans expect.”

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According to a recent study by sportsdirect.com, over 50% of Liverpool jerseys have been purchased in LONDON as of last year. So where are the Liverpool fans in Liverpool?

For years, Liverpool have possessed and utilised some of the best forwards in the world. The likes of Kenny Daglish, Robbie Fowler, Ian Rush, Fernando Torres and more recently Luis Suarez have electrified the Kop with dazzling performances. These stars left the fans in awe and created flair about Liverpool football club. However, after the recent departure of Luis Suarez to Barcelona, they are stuck with Balotelli as the apparent Super Star’ to guide them to glory.

Liverpool’s misfortune in front of goal can best be summed up by Balotelli’s record of the most shots in the league without a goal so far this season.  If Balotelli could focus more on finishing than on his hair or off-field antics, maybe fans will begin to wear the Liverbird more proudly on their chests?

Another explanation could be the rise of Everton. Within the last couple of years, Everton have slowly begun to establish themselves as potential European contenders. In the 2013-14 seasons, new coach Roberto Martinez led the team to an astounding 72 points which was just short of a Champion’s League spot.

An even more depressing statistic is that the city of Liverpool is responsible for just under 7% of Liverpool jerseys sold. The golden age of Liverpool seems to have faded with the fans, as the last top-flight trophy that was lifted in Liverpool was nearly 25 years ago.

Although the city of Liverpool appears to be struggling to sell the shirts of its most famous club, Reds fans are still scattered all over England, and Brendan Rodgers hopes to bring the Liverbird and fans back to life this season…

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Manuel Pellegrini has been widely chastised for his tactical naivety this season. In the days gone by with Villarreal and Malaga, he was hailed as a master tactician. The ‘engineer’ moniker tagged to him was meant as a tribute to his degree in engineering, but also to his intelligence and ability to read the tactical side of the game so well. But now he is said to be naive.

With his previous sides, Pellegrini’s starting 4-4-2 was quite fluid, and when they didn’t have the ball, someone would drop into the middle to help the central midfielders defend. This would either be the wingers or the second striker. Pellegrini always defended with more than just his central midfield pairing in the middle of the pitch.

And this is what the pundits are asking him to do now – add more men into the middle to compete with other teams who use a midfield three.

But it’s not as if a 4-4-2 has never won the Champions League. And even last season, one of Europe’s best sides played 4-4-2 a lot of the time.

Diego Simeone set his Atletico Madrid team up in a 4-4-2 and got them to press the opposition relentlessly. They beat Barcelona by not giving them space when they got the ball, not giving Xavi, Sergio Busquets and Andres Iniesta time to pick passes so easily. And we all know what can happen when those three pick passes easily.

But City are not a team that can be set up in a pressing system. Simeone imposes something like a military discipline in his team. It’s hard to imagine Silva, Aguero, Nasri et al flourishing in such a rigid system.

In the league, City do best when they build up a head of steam. When they are performing at their peak and once they get a goal, the opposition just can’t deal with the power of Yaya Toure and Fernandinho. City are a confidence side, and their league form shows that. When they get going, they are hard to stop, when they are off the boil, they stutter.

It is not quite the same in the Champions League, however, and City need to adapt. But would be wrong to say that Pellegrini doesn’t know this.

The way they play in the league is a much more attacking set-up than it is in the Champions League, and against Barcelona in the first leg two weeks ago, we didn’t see an expansive, free flowing City like we did only a few days later against Liverpool; we saw a defensive set up instead.

City can still beat Barcelona, and they can still catch Chelsea playing the same way.

This is a different Barcelona than we’ve seen in previous seasons. Many people have said that, but they mean it in a negative way, they mean that Barca are weaker. Whether they are or not is a discussion for a different day, but the addition of Ivan Rakitic and Luis Suarez does allow Barcelona to be more direct in possession, something they’ve never been able to do previously.

Rakitic looks to go forward more than Iniesta and Busquets. That is, he looks to pass forward, try through balls and get into shooting positions. And with Suarez up front, Barcelona have a real striker that will also look to be more direct, looking to play a killer ball or shoot rather than pass back to the midfield or defence.

This makes them less susceptible to pressing. When they are hassled, they can simply go into Suarez’s feet. They are still supremely quick with their passes, but what this boils down to is that Suarez can punish you more instantly than the preferred ‘death by a thousand cuts’ method of Xavi and Iniesta, even though they still have that in their locker.

So City needed to stifle Barca and not let them do this. And the 4-4-2 was the perfect way to do it. With no third midfielder, City just lined up in ‘banks-of-four’ and stopped Barca from going direct, and then had two men up front to do more than just counter when they had the ball. The two men could protect possession and bring Silva and Nasri into the game.

This happened in the first half, but Barca’s first goal had an element of luck, and their second was a mistake from Fernando. The Brazilian left his position in front of Kompany and in such a rigid 4-4-2 you can’t do that because it left Kompany exposed. The captain made a rash tackle to try and cover and as a result he was himself left out of position, and Barca’s goal was inevitable.

In the second half, City were much more accomplished in how they used their system, had a host of chances early on, got a goal to come back into the tie, and were dangerous up until Gael Clichy was sent off.

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Against Barca, City need a repeat performance of their second half in order to beat Barcelona. They’ll need to be more disciplined than they were in the first leg, and not make mistakes like Fernando’s or Vincent Kompany’s, but the basic game plan is the right one.

In the league, it’s a different story for City though. Their 4-4-2 isn’t as defensive as they made it look against Barca in the first leg, and will probably make it in the second. They attack with Toure as well as the wingers, and they are, at times, exposed at the back.

But when city build up a head of steam they can be unstoppable. It doesn’t matter that they lack a third man in the middle, they have more than enough firepower with Toure and Fernandinho to overpower most three-man midfields.

This is why the domestic 4-4-2 is different. City will have enough possession not to have to line up defensively and stifle them. They can just overpower the opposition.

If they can build up a head of steam after their week off, City can gain momentum. And like a boulder rolling downhill, they are very difficult to stop when they hit top speed. It will be a wonderful feat if City can stay in the Champions League next week and track down Chelsea in the league, but it isn’t impossible for a squad as good as theirs. Yet in order to gain this momentum in both competitions, City need to be good in both defence and attack, and Pellegrini’s 4-4-2 will help.

It’s all happening for Jordan Henderson. He captained his side to an FA Cup quarter final triumph just hours after his wife gave birth to their second child – and Brendan Rodgers was quick to praise his stand-in captain for his determination to play even after getting little sleep – his contribution to the cause is unwavering. 

And it’s been a phenomenal year for him career-wise too, really. He’s been fantastic on the pitch, give or take a few games in Liverpool’s early-season stumbles, he’s scored some sensational goals and he’s landed himself a starring role in a new male grooming advert!

Steven Gerrard may be Liverpool’s club captain, but he’s stepping aside – or is that being stepped aside – for Henderson. With his strong Sunderland accent, he may never be Mr Liverpool like Gerrard, but nor should he try to be. He’s the cliched honest and hardworking player, but he just happens to be very talented, too. He’s there to replace Gerrard, to play in his position once he’s gone, but he’ll never replace Gerrard – no one could.

In February, Joey Barton caused controversy on twitter – surprisingly – by suggesting that Henderson was ‘wearing armbands… Trying to impersonate legends’, but incapable of actually replacing Gerrard. Jamie Carragher pounced on his tweets and bafflingly got the wrong end of the stick. Barton wasn’t slating Henderson, or at least, not Henderson’s ability.

And Joey’s spot on here – Henderson is a wonderful player, but he’s not Steven Gerrard.

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He’s not completely unlike Gerrard, and they do share some similarities in their style of play, but they certainly aren’t the same. Henderson won’t drag his team kicking and screaming through a game, he won’t almost single-handedly win points either. He’ll contribute lots, and he’ll be a big player for Liverpool for years to come, but he won’t be Steven Gerrard.

As Barton said, Henderson is great at being himself, but he’s probably not that great at being Gerrard. Then again, no one is.

Brendan Rodgers himself is irked by the comparisons, telling the media to stop “putting pressure” on Henderson, but more importantly telling the assembled reporters that Liverpool will “find different ways, different types of player” to replace Gerrard.

Rodgers is clearly building his own team, a team that he wants rather than a team that he’s inherited. Luis Suarez is gone, Gerrard will be soon, but he has players in his team that seem to fit the mould better. Team players, players who are not necessarily world beaters on their own, but as part of a team they excel. Liverpool are more than just the sum of their parts.

And Rodgers has replaced players without replacing them before. When Suarez left a gaping hole in the Liverpool attack, it wasn’t just one player who Rodgers singled out as a replacement. He changed the formation, the style of playing, he brought in lots of different players, and lots of different kinds of tactical approaches. And this seems to be what he’s saying here. He doesn’t want Jordan Henderson to be the new Gerrard. He wants Jordan Henderson to be Jordan Henderson.

Once Gerrard does leave there will be no replacing him. The team will just have to play differently. But that’s what they’ve done this year with Suarez. They couldn’t manage it until Christmas time, and it’s, probably, cost them a Champions League place. But this time Gerrard has been phased out. It’s sad for the player, for the club and for the fans. In fact, it’s sad for the Premier League, too. But Rodgers has done what was needed to make sure that Liverpool can start next season well and have a full-on go at the title.

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Henderson will be vital to this campaign, but he will not be as vital as Gerrard has been in the past. He is not trying to impersonate anyone, but by being himself he will replace Gerrard. Just not in a way that’s as simple as just taking his place.

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Louis van Gaal has a history of putting his faith in young players. At Bayern Munich, Ajax and Barcelona he gave chances to emerging talents, which will serve as a major source of encouragement to some of the starlet’s behind the scenes at Carrington, even though the club are linked with top class stars on an almost daily basis.

And with it being St. George’s Day, what better time than to have a little look at some of these emerging English youngsters? Here are FIVE on the verge of making a first-team breakthrough…

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Tom Thorpe

A brief first-team cameo from Thorpe against West Ham earlier this season shows that he’s well and truly in Louis van Gaal’s plans. The young defender was parachuted into the squad amid a flurry of defensive injuries and handled himself well during his, albeit brief, outing.

At 22, the clock is ticking for Thorpe, and a loan stint at Birmingham last year hasn’t really helped his cause, but LVG has shown a willingness to give youngsters a chance, so he may get the minutes he needs.

Demetri Mitchell

17-years-of-age and thought of as one of the finest youngsters in the United set-up, Mitchell can play. A pacey winger – who is also able to play up front – the teenager has been lauded for his ability to beat his man and is thought of as a ‘game changer’ in the club’s youth sides.

He may be a bit young now, but with cup and European games to balance next season, Van Gaal could look to thread him into the team slowly.

Ben Pearson

A 20-year-old midfielder who has been likened to Paul Scholes… not bad, then! Pearson’s main strength is his passing ability, which he has been showing in League One during a loan spell with Barnsley, but his tendency to arrive late in the box and support attacks is another key trait in his game.

Caps at every England youth level between U-16 and U-20 suggests he has what it takes to succeed, and he could get chances with Michael Carrick’s advancing years set to catch up with him.

James Wilson

Not as such a ‘breakthrough’ player, Wilson has already made an impact in the United first-team. He netted his first goals last term and has since been Van Gaal’s fourth choice striker, but next term could be a promising one for him. Robin van Persie and Radamel Falcao’s futures are uncertain and with LVG knowingly a fan of Wayne Rooney in midfield, Wilson may be the club’s only option… unless they sign players again this summer.

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Fast and clinical, the 19-year-old has a bit of a young Michael Owen vibe about his game.

Cameron Borthwick-Jackson

A cultured centre-back on the ball, but fierce when tackling, Borthwick-Jackson is thought of highly behind the scenes at United. Manchester born and bred, the 18-year-old has been with the club throughout his childhood and is sure to be a favourite with Old Trafford supporters if he can make the leap to the first-team.

Left-footed and able to function at full-back, the teenager looks to be a top prospect.

Liverpool’s fairytale 2013-14 season may only have finished 12 months ago, but the side’s heroics in finishing second in the Premier League now feel like a distant memory.

Lacking star quality since the departure of Luis Suarez, the Reds have slipped out of English football’s elite this term and need a summer revamp if they are to break up the established order.

The Copa America in Chile will provide a viewing platform for the Anfield outfit, with plenty of players in their prime who could take the club to the next level.

With the tournament set to start in a couple of weeks’ time, here are three transfer targets that Brendan Rodgers’ men should be running the rule over.

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Douglas Costa

Part of a new generation of talented young Brazilians being recognised nationally, Costa has been on the collective radars of big sides due to his exploits at Shakhtar Donetsk for a number of seasons.

Regular Champions League football has given the South American an opportunity to show what he is capable of against some of the continent’s best, with the 24-year-old showcasing flair and skill in abundance.

The time has come for the Brazilian to move to one of Europe’s top leagues and he would be an exciting arrival at Anfield.

Although the Reds have a number of excellent attacking midfielders already, with Raheem Sterling’s future unclear, Costa would be a ready-made replacement.

Edinson Cavani

The Uruguayan’s future at Paris Saint-Germain is a favourite topic of the European media, with it seemingly increasingly likely that this summer may well be the end of the striker’s French adventure.

Although the former Napoli forward’s wage demands and potential transfer fee will be hefty, his purchase is not beyond Liverpool’s means.

They would face significant opposition for Cavani’s signing from Champions League-qualified teams, but convincing the hot-shot forward that he can be the man to fire one of world football’s most historic teams back to the glory days could well appeal.

With pace, power and an excellent goalscoring ability, bringing Cavani to Anfield would be the statement that Liverpool need to show that they are ready to be one of English football’s dominant forces.

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Fredy Guarin

Steven Gerrard will leave the Anfield outfit this summer and leave a considerable void in the Reds’ midfield, both from a playing and influence perspective.

Despite the coming of age of Jordan Henderson, the Merseysiders will more than likely have their eye out for a midfielder that can step into the breach and play a part in nullifying Gerrard’s departure.

Fredy Guarin has been a rare positive in an underwhelming season for Inter Milan in 2014-15, with the all-action Colombian continuing to be a driving force for the Serie A side from the centre of the park.

With his aggressiveness in the tackle, tireless work-rate and eye for a pass, along with Inter’s financial woes, Liverpool could well land an ideal new midfield general this summer.

One of the standout transfer rumours of the summer so far has been Arsenal’s link with Juventus midfielder Arturo Vidal, with contrasting reports over the scintillating Chilean midfielder’s future aplenty.

Some sources have stated that the all-action star is set to join the Gunners after the Copa America, while some members of the British press have dispelled the rumblings.

With the truth of the matter yet to be revealed, it is pertinent to analyse just where Vidal would fit into the Arsenal set-up – especially given the competition for places in the side’s midfield.

Arsenal fans have been crying out for Arsene Wenger to secure an assertive central midfielder that can offer a dominant presence, win the ball back and dispel the common assumption that the Gunners are a soft touch physically. The emergence of Francis Coquelin last season has seemingly reduced the pressing need for this type of player, with Mathieu Flamini as an able back-up in this role.

In Vidal’s Bayer Leverkusen days, the South American battler was used in a central midfield role and gained Juventus’ attention through his work-rate and ability to win back possession. Despite these attributes still being present in the star’s game, the Serie A champions have largely used the Chilean as an attacking weapon rather than a defensive one. In the Bianconeri’s star-studded midfield, it is Vidal that plays at the head of a four-man quartet, with the South American charged with surging forward to support the side’s strikers.

He acts as a link between the team’s midfield and attack, with his movement off the ball also a feature of last season’s defeated Champions League finalists’ play. As such, it appears that if Vidal was to slot into Arsenal’s bespoke 4-2-3-1 formation next season, it would be as the man behind the lone striker, in a ‘No.10’ role of sorts.

This position has been most commonly occupied by Mesut Ozil of late, with the German playmaker charged with laying on chances for team-mates and acting as the creative spark to unlock stubborn opposition rearguards.

Vidal’s presence could well see the former Real Madrid attacking midfielder shift to one of the flanks, with Alexis Sanchez on the other wing. Ozil has been used in a wide role on occasion before by Wenger, but it is clear that the diminutive schemer would prefer to play centrally. A position on the flank would require Ozil to track back and defend, while also negating his influence to some extent, due to not being as involved in his team’s possession play.

There is no doubt that Vidal’s signing could well be a real boost to Sanchez, as the countrymen are friends from their exploits at national level. Vidal would give the North Londoners a new dimension in their attack and his versatility would also be a real plus for Wenger.

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The main man to lose out if the Chilean arrives appears to be Ozil, but the collective would undoubtedly be stronger with Vidal as part of it.

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Most of the time, football fans get frustrated when they are encouraged by their club to show more support to the team.

Leeds United supporters, though, have hailed the Championship outfit for their latest initiative.

The Yorkshire-based outfit have called on the fans to bring club scarves to this weekend’s clash against Hull City at Loftus Road, as well as New Year’s Day match against Nottingham Forest.

The aim is to create a sea of blue, yellow and white at Elland Road, and there is also a charitable reason behind it.

Each time a half-price scarf is sold between now and January 1, 2018 all profits will go to the Leeds United Foundation, which supports a number of charities.

Fans have been left delighted by the cause and they granted their approval on Twitter.

As mentioned, nine times out of 10, clubs are criticised by fans for trying to urge more support.

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Plastic flags, for example, have become synonymous with ‘fake’ supporters.

Boasting eight wins from their last ten games across all competitions, Tottenham Hotspur will expect to maintain their impressive run of results when they travel to St. Mary’s this weekend. In direct contrast, Southampton are currently 16th in the Premier League table, spared from the relegation zone by a single point.

But Saints can’t be taken for granted and the midfield battle could well be crucial, simply because that’s where the south coast outfit’s strongest talents are – the likes of Dusan Tadic, Sofiane Boufal, Nathan Redmond and James Ward-Prowse.

That leaves Mauricio Pochettino with a big decision to make. While England international Eric Dier has held down the defensive role in Tottenham’s engine room in recent weeks, enforcer Victor Wanyama has been steadily regaining his fitness through a string of substitute appearances following a long-term injury.

So, Tottenham fans, is Sunday the right time to bring Wanyama – who Transfermarkt value at £27million – back into the starting XI to make his first Premier League start since August, or does Dier deserve to hold onto his spot in the team? Let us know by voting below…

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