The Arsenal vs Manchester United rivalry is one of the biggest of the Premier League era.
The clubs have played each other since 1894, but the rivalry came to the fore in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The feud between Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsène Wenger and the tunnel clashes between Patrick Vieira and Roy Keane took its storylines well beyond the pitch.
From 1996 to 2004 the two sides shared almost every Premier League title between them: United won six and Arsenal three.
Arsenal vs Manchester United: head-to-head record in all competitions
The clubs first met on 13 October 1894, when Newton Heath and Woolwich Arsenal drew 3-3 at Bank Street in the Second Division. Counting the one-off 1988 Football League Centenary Trophy tie, they have played 246 competitive matches since. Manchester United have won 100 and Arsenal 91, with 55 draws (to 30 September 2026).
The most recent meeting was on 25 January 2026, when United won 3-2 at the Emirates. The next is scheduled for 19 December 2026, in the Premier League at the Emirates.
| Matches | Arsenal wins | Manchester United wins | Draws |
|---|---|---|---|
| 246 | 91 | 100 | 55 |
Arsenal vs Manchester United: head-to-head record in the Premier League
Since the Premier League began in 1992-93, the teams have met 68 times. United have won 27 and Arsenal 22, with 19 draws, and United lead on goals, 92 to 80.
The recent balance has swung Arsenal’s way. Of the eight league meetings since September 2022, Arsenal have won five, United two, and one was drawn.
| Arsenal | Metric | Manchester United |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | Wins | 27 |
| 19 | Draws | 19 |
| 80 | Goals | 92 |
Recent Arsenal vs Manchester United results
| Date | Match | Score | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 Jan 2026 | Arsenal v Manchester United | 2-3 | Premier League |
| 17 Aug 2025 | Manchester United v Arsenal | 0-1 | Premier League |
| 9 Mar 2025 | Manchester United v Arsenal | 1-1 | Premier League |
| 12 Jan 2025 | Arsenal v Manchester United | 1-1 (United won 5-3 on penalties) | FA Cup |
| 4 Dec 2024 | Arsenal v Manchester United | 2-0 | Premier League |
| 12 May 2024 | Manchester United v Arsenal | 0-1 | Premier League |
| 3 Sep 2023 | Arsenal v Manchester United | 3-1 | Premier League |
| 22 Jan 2023 | Arsenal v Manchester United | 3-2 | Premier League |
| 4 Sep 2022 | Manchester United v Arsenal | 3-1 | Premier League |
Arsenal vs Manchester United: head-to-head record in cup competitions
The sides have met 17 times in the FA Cup. United have won eight and Arsenal six, with three draws. The latest, in the third round in January 2025, finished 1-1 at the Emirates, and United went through 5-3 on penalties.
They have played six times in the League Cup, with United winning four and Arsenal two. Their only European meetings were the 2008-09 Champions League semi-final, which United won both legs of.
Arsenal have the better of the Charity/Community Shield: four wins from six meetings. The other two, in 1993 and 2003, were 1-1 draws that United won on penalties.
| Competition | Matches played | Arsenal wins | Man United wins | Draws |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FA Cup | 17 | 6 | 8 | 3 |
| League Cup | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| Champions League | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Charity / Community Shield | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 |
Most goals in Arsenal vs Manchester United
Wayne Rooney has scored the most goals in Arsenal vs Manchester United matches: 12 in 30 appearances in all competitions (nine in the league, three in the FA Cup). David Herd is next with 11, seven for Arsenal and four for United.
For Arsenal, Thierry Henry is the top scorer in the fixture with nine goals. Ryan Giggs holds the appearance record: 50 matches against Arsenal.
Players who played for both Arsenal and Manchester United
Seventeen players have moved between the clubs, and 15 of them played senior football for both. The most recent is defender Ayden Heaven, who made one first-team appearance for Arsenal before joining United in February 2025, and made his United debut against Arsenal a month later.
From Arsenal to Manchester United: David Herd, Ian Ure, George Graham, Frank Stapleton, Viv Anderson, Andy Cole, Robin van Persie, Alexis Sánchez, Ayden Heaven
From Manchester United to Arsenal: Paddy Sloan, Jimmy Rimmer, Brian Kidd, David Platt (never played a senior game for United), Jim Leighton (never played a senior game for Arsenal), Mikaël Silvestre, Danny Welbeck, Henrikh Mkhitaryan
Author: William Paul
Featured photo: AFP / OLI SCARFF