Meeting regularly since 1894, football clubs Arsenal and Manchester United have a long and storied history of heated competition across multiple tournaments.
With over 240 all-time matchups, Arsenal are Man United’s most commonly faced opposition, while the Red Devils are the second-most regular opponent for the Gunners.
While the rivalry’s heyday of the late 1990s and early 2000s has cooled somewhat thanks to the departures of Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger, as well as the rise of other Premier League giants to join the fray, this fixture remains one of the most prominent in all of English football regardless of the competition.
The Sporting News details the historical records between the two clubs, their recent history, and the overview of their historical ups and downs.
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Arsenal vs. Man United history, head to headArsenal and Manchester United played their 244th all-time meeting across the long history of competition against one another when they clashed in the Premier League on the opening weekend of the 2025/26 season.
The Gunners once again made the most of their set-piece prowess to claim a 1-0 win through Riccardo Calafiori’s first-half header.
Thanks largely to their dominance in the early Premier League days, United still have the slight edge in all-time victories, as well as wins in the only two UEFA Champions League meetings between the sides.
Arsenal, however, have won four of the six Community Shield matchups between the clubs, with the Red Devils winless in those games across regulation. The Gunners also won the Football League Centenary Trophy meeting between the two clubs in 1988.
Arsenal vs. Man United all-time record, resultsData correct as of August 17, 2025
CompetitionGamesArsenal
winsMan United
winsDrawsPremier League (since 1992)67222619First Div./Second Div. (pre-1992)146565931FA Cup17683EFL Cup6240Champions League2020FA Community Shield6402TOTAL244909955Arsenal vs. Man United recent resultsAs a result of United’s downturn following the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsenal have dominated the list of recent results, winning eight of the past 12 meetings between the clubs. United have won two, both at home, with two draws in that span as well including the FA Cup third-round clash in January 2025.
Last 10 matches between Arsenal and Man UnitedDateCompetitionVenueResultAug. 17, 2025Premier LeagueOld TraffordMan United 0-1 ArsenalMar. 9, 2025Premier LeagueOld TraffordMan United 1-1 ArsenalJan. 12, 2025FA CupEmirates StadiumArsenal 1-1 Man United AET (3-5 pens)Dec. 4, 2024Premier LeagueEmirates StadiumArsenal 2-0 Man UnitedMay 12, 2024Premier LeagueOld TraffordMan United 0-1 ArsenalSep. 3, 2023Premier LeagueEmirates StadiumArsenal 3-1 Man UnitedJan. 22, 2023Premier LeagueEmirates StadiumArsenal 3-2 Man UnitedSep. 4, 2022Premier LeagueOld TraffordMan United 3-1 ArsenalApr. 23, 2022Premier LeagueEmirates StadiumArsenal 3-1 Man UnitedDec. 2, 2021Premier LeagueOld TraffordMan United 3-2 ArsenalOverview of Arsenal vs. Man United rivalryArsenal and Manchester United met for the first time in competitive action in 1894 in the English Division Two, when Arsenal was officially known as “Woolwich Arsenal” and Man United were known as “Newton Heath.”
By 1920, the clubs were Division One participants and were known by their modern names we recognise today.
The two clubs have played each other in a number of prominent and memorable games for both on-the-field reasons as well as off-field narratives. Arsenal and Man United’s first final meeting came in the 1979 FA Cup, with the Gunners winning 3-2 on an 89th-minute goal by Alan Sunderland after having given up a 2-0 lead minutes before. The only other time they have met in the final of a knockout competition was in the 2005 FA Cup, when Arsenal won on penalties after a 0-0 draw; they have never met in the EFL Cup final.
Legendary United boss Sir Alex Ferguson stated he believes the rivalry kicked off in its modern form in 1987 when Arsenal’s David Rocastle was sent off, leading to a United win stopping Arsenal’s 22-game unbeaten run. The heyday of the rivalry, through the late 90s and early 2000s, saw multiple high-temperature confrontations that had significant competitive stakes on the line at a time when these two clubs were the dominant forces in English football.
Hostilities built when Ian Wright and Peter Schmeichel got into a months-long war of words, which built animosity between the managers as well. Patrick Vieira’s 2003 dismissal for a foul on Ruud van Nistelrooy, which resulted in six Gunners being charged for improper conduct, marked a high-point in the rivalry, as did Roy Keane’s confrontation of Patrick Vieira in the tunnel in 2005.
In that same year, United ended the Arsenal ‘Invincibles’ 49-game unbeaten run in league play with a 2-0 win at Old Trafford in October. Tempers frayed throughout the contest and boiled over in the tunnel after the match, with players and staff seen brawling. Amid the chaos, a slice of pizza was thrown at Ferguson by an unnamed assailant, later revealed to be Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas. The incident came to be dubbed ‘Battle of the Buffet’ or ‘Pizzagate’.
When Wenger congratulated Ferguson for winning the 2009 Premier League title, it marked a cooling of the hostilities between the two sides, but this fixture remains a top-tier meeting every year given the sheer stature of the clubs.
