Arsenal v Manchester United Rivalry: Can they contend for the PL title?

The Arsenal v Manchester United that once dominated the Premier League has been reduced to a sideshow for the best of two decades due to the respective decline of both sides. However, this Sunday’s clash between the two giants proved that the two of England’s biggest clubs are, after a torturous wait, on the way back.

But now is the time for realism and patience. The Red Devils and the Gunners are one of the two Premier League clubs with a proud history of success. Between the years 1996 and 2004, no other club won the Premier League – but neither will win the title this season.

For the first time, both clubs care to remember, though, a return to glory is now visibly on the horizon. Come back in two years’ time and United and Arsenal could be the big two of the Premier League once again.

On the current premier league predictions Arsenal play host to Everton at the Emirates for their next Premier League action while United, on the other hand, travels to Selhurst Park Stadium to take on Patrick Vieira’s Crystal Palace side.

The Red Devils’ 3-1 victory against Arsenal on Sunday at Old Trafford, inspired by midfielder Christian Eriksen and sealed by a two-goal striker Marcus Rashford, ended the Gunners’ 100% winning start to the season whilst extending the remarkable revival of the Man United’s team under the tutelage of Erik ten Hag. The Manchester side now sits in the fifth position, just three points behind Mikel Arteta’s Gunners, at the top of the table.

After losing two games at the start of the new season, United was bottom of the table on zero points after Ten Hag became the first Old Trafford boss in 101 years to suffer two defeats at the start of his reign, but four straight wins later, belief and confidence are running through his team and the club’s supporters. Arsenal, however, are further down the track than Ten Hag’s United in terms of rebuilding confidence and are giving their fans hope that success can finally return to the Emirates.

Missing out on the Champions League with a disastrous end to the past season highlighted the work still to be done by Arteta, but five straight wins at the start of the campaign have highlighted the progress made by the manager, and the team now has a platform on which to build a sustained push for a top-four finish.

There’s no denying that the duo of Manchester City and Liverpool are still some distance ahead of Man United and Arsenal in terms of quality and experience of winning, but they will both have noted the upsurge at Old Trafford and Emirates in recent weeks. The top two sides of the last also know Arsenal and Man United will still be troubled by inconsistency.

Arsenal is a young team and has yet to learn how to go to a place like Old Trafford, kill the game and come away with a victory. United, meanwhile, still lack quality in depth and needs to boost their firepower, having scored only eight goals in six games so far.

“I understand fans are dreaming, the standards of Man United have to be good,” Ten Hag said. “We’re at the start of a process, we’re still far away. We have to get doing things much better than we do. It’s a process — you have to lift the standards every day.”

Summer signings Lisandro Martinez, Christian Eriksen, Tyrell Malacia, Casemiro, and Antony, who scored on his debut against Arsenal, have added much-needed character and tenacity to the squad, however, Ten Hag has brought tactical expertise and leadership and has already improved the likes of Jadon Sancho, Fred, and Rashford.

United has positive momentum now, but there is also a different feel to Arsenal, who have been plagued by fragility since the final days of Arsene Wenger’s reign in charge.

The defeat at Old Trafford wasn’t caused by a lack of Arsenal character, but rather a failure to capitalize on a period of dominance and United being more ruthless in front of goal. There is no sense that Arteta’s players will go into a tailspin after losing to United, and that is a testament to the improvement at the Emirates.

“For these boys to play the way they did here, big credit to them, but we need a better result,” Arteta said. “We have to learn that you need to have so much discipline in these games.”

It’s been almost 20 years now since United against Arsenal was the game that mattered most in the Premier League.

Back in September 2003, the two teams played out a 0-0 draw that became known as the Battle of Old Trafford because the brooding tensions between the two teams spilled over into a post-match brawl. That season, an unbeaten Arsenal won the league for the last time, becoming “The Invincibles” in the process, but they have never come close to winning it since.

It will be 10 years next May since United last won the title, and they have also become title no-hopers since Sir Alex Ferguson retired as manager. Yet finally, United and Arsenal look to be on an upward trajectory again, and that’s good news for the Premier League.