CloseEncounters: Arsenal hoping to break United's recent stranglehold

April 3rd, 2004, FA Cup semi-final, Arsenal 0 Manchester United 1: Arsenal were overwhelming favourites to beat a team that …

April 3rd, 2004, FA Cup semi-final, Arsenal 0 Manchester United 1: Arsenal were overwhelming favourites to beat a team that had faded since being hit by Rio Ferdinand's ban three months earlier but Arsenal reckoned without United's fighting spirit. Roy Carroll made two superb saves to keep his team on level terms before Paul Scholes drove home the 32nd-minute goal which proved the winner.

October 24th, 2004, Premiership, Manchester United 2 Arsenal 0

A game that will be remembered as much for what happened off the pitch as on it as United ended Arsenal's record 49-match unbeaten run. The seemingly unstoppable visitors were seething at what appeared to be a Wayne Rooney dive which allowed Ruud van Nistelrooy to put the hosts in front from the penalty spot 17 minutes from time. Rooney wrapped up the win with a tap-in late on, sparking furious scenes in the tunnel which will forever be known as "pizzagate".

December 1st, 2004, League Cup, Manchester United 1 Arsenal 0

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Not even the respective second strings could be trusted to keep their tempers in check as David Bellion's 19-second effort sent United into the last four with Robin van Persie and Kieran Richardson squaring up in an ugly confrontation. By then, Manuel Almunia had allowed Bellion's speculative strike to slip through his grasp as United extended their winning run over Arsene Wenger's men.

February 1st, 2005, Premiership, Arsenal 2 Manchester United 4

Players from both sides ignored pleas for calm as Patrick Vieira and Roy Keane sparred verbally in the tunnel. Amid the rancour came some brilliant football and again it was United who came out on top. Twice behind through Vieira and Dennis Bergkamp, the visitors first levelled through Ryan Giggs, then Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo applied the close-range finish to put United in front. Mikael Silvestre was sent off for headbutting Freddie Ljungberg before John O'Shea finished Arsenal off with a great chip.