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Sir Alex Ferguson’s Man Utd dressing room message to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer ahead of Arsenal


Sir Alex Ferguson versus Arsene Wenger, Roy Keane clashing with Patrick Vieira, ‘pizzagate’ as the Gunners’ 49-game unbeaten run came an end.

Manchester United and Arsenal have a rich history of hostility towards each other and their rivalry is undoubtedly one of the greatest in football.

The enmity between the two teams intensified during the late ’90s, when they were the dominant forces in England.

United and Arsenal had a stranglehold on the Premier League trophy between 1996 and 2004, while they also won six FA Cups between them in that period.

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Arguably the finest ever contest between the two rivals came in the 1998-99 season, when Arsenal and United clashed in an FA Cup semi-final replay.

Wenger and Ferguson led the two dominant teams in England at the turn of the millennium
Wenger and Ferguson led the two dominant teams in England at the turn of the millennium

It’s a game best remembered for Ryan Giggs’ incredible solo goal to clinch victory for the 10-man Red Devils in extra-time, but it was also a hugely significant moment for both teams’ seasons.

They went into the match as the top two in the Premier League, with Arsenal looking to defend their league-FA Cup double from the previous season and United searching for a historic continental treble.

In the eyes of Red Devils players, Arsenal were seen as the media’s preferred team on account of their flowing brand of football under Wenger.

But encounters between the Gunners and United were invariably heated, physical contests – and the 1999 FA Cup replay was no different.

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Giggs scored one of the greatest goals in FA Cup history
Giggs scored one of the greatest goals in FA Cup history

“It’s funny, in team talks against Arsenal, the ball was very rarely mentioned,” recalled Old Trafford legend Paul Scholes in the 2018 documentary ‘The Feud’.

“We knew we had to get about them and tackle them. The manager always put that into us. He revved us up.”

Reliving Ferguson’s team talk to his players ahead of the replay at Villa Park, Phil Neville said: “You could see his mind thinking what we were thinking – that these [Arsenal players] were better than us and that we needed to improve.

“You could see him planning, ‘how do I topple these because this is probably going to be my biggest battle ever as Manchester United manager’.”

Dennis Bergkamp missed a last-gasp penalty for Arsenal as the game went to extra-time
Dennis Bergkamp missed a last-gasp penalty for Arsenal as the game went to extra-time

Neville added: “I’ll never forget on the bus journey to the game, the bus was silent – and it was never silent. I get goosebumps now thinking about it. It felt like we were going to war.

“It was the best game of football I’ve ever played in. All of the Man United players say the same.”

The fixture lived up to Neville’s “war” prediction; there were vicious tackles aplenty and Red Devils captain Keane received a second yellow card in the second half for a poor challenge on Marc Overmars.

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As Scholes recalled, the “odds were against us”, but Giggs’ magical winner sent United through to the FA Cup final, where they beat Newcastle en route to clinching the treble.

The Red Devils would go on to win an unprecedented treble after beating Arsenal
The Red Devils would go on to win an unprecedented treble after beating Arsenal

Is Arsenal and United’s 1999 semi-final replay the greatest ever FA Cup game? Have your say in the comments.

United and Arsenal’s rivalry remained bitterly intense for many seasons to come, although it has lessened somewhat over the last decade with the rapid rises of Chelsea and Manchester City.

But Ole Gunnar Solskjaer – who lined up against Arsenal on that memorable day in 1999 – could be on another collision course with his old enemy this season.

The two teams will face off in the Europa League final if they progress in the quarter-finals and semi-finals.

The winner of Ajax and Roma’s tie awaits United so long as they see off Granda, having beaten the Spanish side 2-0 in last week’s first leg.

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Arsenal face a more challenging task to set up a last-four clash with Dinamo Zagreb or Unai Emery’s Villarreal; the Gunners travel to Slavia Prague on Thursday night, with a 1-1 first-leg draw leaving the quarter-final tie hanging in the balance.

If both Premier League sides reach the Europa League final in Gdansk, it will mark the latest chapter in their historic rivalry, and Solskjaer will be tasked with drilling into his players the same passion and understanding of what is at stake when playing Arsenal as Ferguson once hammered home for him.

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