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Man United - The Real Rivalry?

Totten*am may be geographically our closest rivals, but unquestionably during the Wenger years Manchester United have been our fiercest rivals in a footballing sense.

The giants of north and south have traded titles, cups, and mind-games in equal measure until the arrival of the Russian`s millions in West London, and United are threatening to land the Premiership yet again.

The last ten years have seen tense, high-profile clashes between the protagonists from opposite ends of the country. In Wenger`s first full season United were humbled home and away as Arsenal romped to the double. David Platt secured a 3-2 triumph at Highbury, with Marc Overmars scoring the only goal in a crucial contest at Old Trafford.

The following season started with Arsenal comfortably lifting the Charity Shield, 3-0 against United at Wembley, yet ended with United claiming a dramatic treble. Arsenal claimed four of the six league points on offer but were stunned in the FA Cup semi-final when Bergkamp`s last-minute penalty miss gave Giggs the chance to grab the winner in extra-time.

United claimed the first two titles of the twenty-first century which began with Arsenal claiming a second Charity Shield at United`s expense. The next three league clashes produced one win, one defeat, and one draw, before United crushed a weakened Arsenal side 6-1 at Old Trafford in December 2001.

Revenge was fully extracted the following season as Arsenal won all three games against Fergie`s charges (including a 4-0 League Cup triumph). Thierry Henry struck twice in a 3-1 win at Highbury, but the big contest of the season saw the Gunners clinch the double, at Old Trafford of all places, with a single Wiltord strike.

In 2002-03 United won 2-0 at Old Trafford, yet Arsenal returned the compliment at the same venue on the way to another triumph in Cardiff. Honours were shared in the league game at Highbury and United regained the title. As 'the invincibles` reclaimed the Premiership in 2004 United did as well as anyone against the undefeated champions, drawing both home and away.

2004-5 opened with another Arsenal Community Shield triumph, but it was United who ended the forty-nine match unbeaten run at Old Trafford, and went on to claim victories in a League Cup clash, and the return League fixture at Highbury. Arsenal ended the season on a high however with a penalty shoot-out victory in the FA Cup Final at Cardiff. So to last season and United`s last appearance at Highbury ended in a no-score draw. The hosts claimed the homours with a 2-0 win at Old Trafford.

Most of these clashes have been high octane affairs which have gripped the imagination, and there is little doubt that the latest instalment on Sunday will be eagerly anticipated by fans worldwide. Arsenal have already toppled United at Old Trafford, courtesy of Adebayor`s superb finish, but Fergie`s men are desperate for the points to strengthen their grip on first place. It looks like being a real belter!

Article submitted by Goonerholic

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Writer: Rocky7

Date:Thursday January 18 2007

Time: 2:44PM

Your Comments

it will be a cracker, can't wait for it. and ive heard rumours about cesc and rvp not being fit, and gallas to play, can anyone tell me more about these rumours and injuries?

luckys_10

about time, was wondering if we were psoting anything this week :P it is without doubt the 2 fixtures i look forward to most of all.. it is a north / south divide although most of united fans are southern poofs.. looking forward to sunday, they are always good games to wtach and be nervous about.

PUREGOLD

we are closer to you than you are to them. so i think not

Jacky B

Did you not bother reading the article? We may be your biggest rivals, but I can gurantee, you way down the pecking order on ours!!

Rocky7

Although we do hate you very much if that makes you feel any better?!?!

Rocky7

No i didn't, but with a headline like that you are asking for it - They are prob just as worried about you, as you are us - not very much that is

Jacky B

And i hate you too! I am not denying that in a sporting sense, over the last decade they have been your "biggest rivals". And i also know that the article is meant to be insulting to Yids. It should also mean you wont care that much next time we beat you (hopefully on Wed)

Jacky B

Here's the rub Jacky. They may feasibly beat us, although I fancy us to repeat our win at Old Trafford. You, on the other hand, couldn't beat an egg!

FatOldDave

Well if comment on article without reading them, you leave yourself open to ridicule. I won't deny wanting to beat you in this semi, but if you had to beat us in any competition, I'd prefer it be this one!!

Rocky7

nice one. i hope you can't say that next week. Changing subject slightly - Arsenal seem to be doing whatever they want again (with regard to CC tickets) Fa says 12.2% - you say no. So, now you only get 3,000 tickets for the leg at White Hart Lane.

Jacky B

Anyway, the article refers to the past and not the present. You often mock spurs fans for talkin about the past. So back to the present and the gap between us and you, and you and them.

Jacky B

The gap between us and you....I'd guess at this stage last season you were infront, and this season we now have ten points on you, so it'd suggest your rise to the top was very very short lived!!!

Rocky7

why the hell are you even here, this article is about us and united. dun you have anyone to talk to on the sp*ds site. i know it's feels all lonely there for over four decades now, but that ain't our fault. so dun come over here and remove your years of frustrations by saying crap that this article is there to insult you. it has nothing to do with you. think about wednesday, your in the last four of a competition after so many years, be happy about that, and dont come here to talk bull**** just because your club has given you nothing in the last 46 years, stick to your page for that..

luckys_10

Jacky, prior to us playing chelsea your big mouth fellow fans came here shouting that it is only 3 points and that it was a matter of time when you caught up and overtook us in the table. Fast forward to now and you will see that the gap is much bigger and I wonder whether you fancy winning away to Fulham to narrow the gap IF we slip up? Plus, you will never see a Gooner going to the Mancs page and making a fool of himself like many of your comrades here do. That is difference between Arsenal and sp*rs. They say form is temporary, class is permanent, but between the Arsenal and the tiny totts, both form and class are on the red and white side.

G4L

Lucky - Apart from the fact that the article starts with the word Tottenham. You guys must think i am more bitter than i am. What have i got to be unhappy about? we are in a healthier position than we have been for years, and in today's game with the stranglehold on the top four, i dont expect overnight success

Jacky B

Heelo Speople. Nice Site. Just happy to be able to post for the first time I have struggled for days to see where to log in. I kept being taken to the discussion forums

TeamSpirit

so how does that mean this article is meant to insult you? infact we're showing you respect by calling you our closest rivals, but you lot are just obsessed with everything Arsenal whether good or bad. this article is only to talk about our rivalry with united, and how it's been in the league since Le Boss is here, and still you come here and trigger yet another unwanted argument, grow up..

luckys_10

LOL. Sorry about my spellings. Its the excitement. Like the Arsenal team, it will improve with time. Drastically.

TeamSpirit

you seem to have lost it mate - I did nothing but point out a fact and you get all shirty.

Jacky B

Lucky 10 closest rivals geographically = insult. knob

Jacky B

Why does it? The remains that we have bigger fish to fry than you. FACT!

Rocky7

Jacky, you appear to be trying to make an argument from your own point of view. Fair enough. The truth is though that the games against United have generally been more tense, had more of an edge, and more of an atmosphere off the pitch than our games with you in the last decade. I'll appreciate you wouldn't know that as you would not have been to our games with them. You'll just have to take our word for it.

FatOldDave

true, and i wont deny it hurts, but such arrogance is bound to come and slap you in the face one day. Maybe Chimbonda will get there first.

Jacky B

I trust he will only recieve a yellow for it!

iceman10

united?... rivalry..spurs?!!!...pure entertainment who have been geographically positioned close to us to provide all Gooners with comedy and to constantly remind us how good we have it

Anon 1

'Geographically rivals' that's a laugh,you Pikeys are from Woolwich.Don't you remember the chant at the libary 'F@ck off back to south-london,F@ck off back to south-london' By the way have you seen the old 'spiritual' home,it's looking great.What with it being torn down and havin builders ***** over it!

HATEtheGOONS

Haha and it still looks better than Shoebox lane, wow! Please, please paint the exterior of your stadium it looks like your squad has climbed on the roof a sh!t down the sides.

iceman10

*and*

iceman10

They must have been running away from Freddie.

HATEtheGOONS

Do you remeber our chant at the Lane HtG? 'We won the league, at White Hart Lane, We won the league at White Hart Lane. You should do, because you've heard it from us twice. That's more often than you mugs have been able to sing it!

northwilts

If we win the title at your ground again do we get to keep it?...I could do with a new toilet

Anon 1

Jacky B, are you smoking genetically modified weed? Coz regular weed doesn't affect peoples minds like that, and I'm sure I speak for a lot of people when i say that! How the hell is the title to this article supposed to be an insult to the yids, huh? You think your lot and us are in a contest?? What contest? When was the last time you won anything? ANYTHING? When was the last time you beat us? You're going to have to go back to that English players thing you lot have, coz that's about the only thing you can say about us. Maybe it makes you feel better being mentioned in the same sentence as The Arsenal, and maybe being ahead of us in the table last season gave you ideas, but make no mistake pal, you are a thousand miles behind us, and there's proof aplenty; what we've won (3 titles, 5 FA cups in the last 20 years), what you've won (you tell me); top 2 finish in the last 8 or so years (bar last year) for us, a motley collection of positions of mediocrity for you (and mediocre lasgna when your best chance came knocking); we are a constant feature in the CL (ever heard of it, the CL?); a constant supply of world class, and I mean world class, players (Henry, Pires, Vieira, Sol Campbell), your best players invariably go to a place they stand a chance of winning something (a certain Sol comes to mind, Carrick-not that I drool over him-, I wonder how long you can hang onto King
Anything you want to look at, we're so ahead of you you're seriously deluded about the distance between us. If we are within touching distance of you, that's coz we've overlapped you several times over; when you hear them ring the bell for the last lap, KEEP RUNNING, coz they aint ringing it for you.

Gaga

IN THE LAST 10 YEARS, I MEANT TO SAY.

Gaga

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