Arsenal welcome Manchester United to the Emirates on Friday evening as a storied and once elite rivalry turns the page on its newest chapter.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer takes his troops to London in the midst of a record-winning run for a manager beginning his United tenure with the Red Devils riding a seven-game victory streak and looking to make it eight and also progress into the fifth round of the FA Cup.
The two played out one of the most epic encounters this competition has ever seen in the 1999 semi-final, with United triumphing 2-1 thanks to Ryan Giggs’ stunning solo goal – also one of the FA Cup’s most iconic.
These are the two most successful teams in the competition, having lifted the trophy 25 times between them – Arsenal 13, United 12.
We look ahead to the tie of the round with our talking points.
SOLSKJAER: THE GATEKEEPER
This type of game is maybe, in essence, exactly what Solskjaer was brought into the club for.
Liverpool and Manchester City are way ahead in terms of tussling for the league title this season. Keep Tottenham in the mix too, for now.
The cup competitions are where United – now surging in confidence – can still coax some joy. For all Jose Mourinho’s cries of having his hands tied in the transfer market last summer and criticism of certain players as not fit for the jersey, this remains a squad packed with top talent.
Solskjaer is finally unlocking that potential as United’s campaign has been resuscitated and now, all of a sudden, the prospect of silverware is not such a far-fetched one.
United’s stars were obviously in need of repairing and reconfiguring following the tumultuous reign of Mourinho. But it is nevertheless a squad of stars.
Boasting World Cup-winner Paul Pogba, Marcus Rashford unleashed and looking like a world-class striker under the interim boss and Victor Lindelof making a mockery of Mourinho’s cries for class in central defence, United’s hierarchy will perhaps be smiling at the upturn in fortunes and atmosphere since sacking the Portuguese.
Maybe they knew that if the shackles are removed, the season could still be salvaged. In Solskjaer, they seem to have found the right key to unlock and free United.
TREACHEROUS GROUND FOR EMERY AND ARSENAL
Hector Bellerin is out for the season.
The shoe is now on the other foot for Arsenal and Unai Emery. After the Spaniard oversaw a brilliant unbeaten run that covered 22 games following defeat on the Premier League’s opening day to Chelsea, the honeymoon period at the Emirates is over.
Since the 3-2 defeat at Southampton they saw four defeats and a draw in their last nine games – victories in that time have come against struggling Burnley and Fulham, and League One Blackpool in the previous round of the FA Cup.
There was a resounding and pressure-relieving win at home to Chelsea on Saturday, but questions are being asked of Emery and his squad.
He was warm in his praise of interim United manager Solskjaer ahead of Saturday’s clash. “It’s a different team. It’s the same players but they’re playing with a big performance now,” he had said of a United side he has seen eliminate an 11-point gap when Mourinho was sacked to now lie level with them on 44 points in the league table.
And despite the morale-boosting win over the Blues, the Gunners are in dire need of replenishing. “I think we need and we can sign some players,” said the Spaniard at his press conference ahead of the United match.
Hector Bellerin is out for the season after rupturing knee ligaments, joining Danny Welbeck and Rob Holding as long-term absentees.
But there appears only room for manoeuvre in the loan market, with money sparse. Yet there is only a week left of the transfer window.
With all of this on his plate, the last thing Emery and Arsenal probably need right now is to take on a resurgent United relishing every game.
THE MAGIC OF MANCHESTER, AND THE CUP
Solskjaer scored a memorable winner in the 1999 FA Cup run against Liverpool.
Solskjaer was something of an FA Cup specialist during his United days. Well, in truth he was just a goalscoring specialist, full stop.
The Norwegian scored eight times in 30 FA Cup games for the Red Devils and although his iconic winning strike in the Champions League final against Bayern Munich at the Camp Nou will always be his most famous, the FA Cup fourth round stoppage time winner against Liverpool at Old Trafford en route to the famed treble lives on in the memory of United fans.
And Solskjaer’s revolution at the club can continue this weekend in a competition and fixture that still retains more than a little magic.
That 1999 triumph was United’s 10th FA Cup crown. Two more have followed since and they trail only Arsenal by one with 12 trophies.
The Baby-faced Assassin’s revitalised squad now have the Gunners in their sights. Negotiate their way into the fifth round and not only will the feel-good factor continue, but a season destined only for doom only a month ago will have the players dreaming of major silverware.
