Manchester United and Arsenal have been in and around the Champions League places all Barclays Premier League season long. On Sunday, they will face off at Old Trafford in a game which will go a long way to determining who finishes in third place and who finishes in fourth.
United currently sit in fourth, two points behind Arsenal, who hold a game in hand. The ever important distinction between these two places is that third place gets you directly into the Champions League group stages while fourth only gets you to the final qualifying stage. Sunday's is one of the few truly important fixtures left this season, and with that in mind, let's take a look back at one of the most famous clashes between these two sides...
On 28 August 2011, Manchester United inflicted one of the worst defeats ever on Arsenal Football Club. The Reds, who entered the season as defending champions, had just dispatched Arsenal's North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur with a clinical display. They were in flying form, already in championship form just three matches into the season. Meanwhile, Arsenal were in trouble. Arsene Wenger was under more pressure and scrutiny than he ever had been up until that point, and injuries and suspensions had depleted Wenger's squad.
Arsenal had just sold Samir Nasri, and after the earlier departure of Cesc Fabregas looked a shadow of their former selves. However, few knew just how much they needed an infusion of new talent until after this match. So shambolic was the performance at the end of August in 2011, that it precipitated one of Arsene Wenger's greatest transfer outlays, as he would go on to splash the cash on Deadline Day. However, that could not stop the events of three days beforehand.
United entered the 2011 season in flying form, coming back from two goals down to defeat Manchester City in the 2011 Community Shield Final before going on to comprehensively win their first two league fixtures. Meanwhile, Arsenal entered with just one point from their first two matches, and had been playing poorly. Both teams started true to form in this match.
United began the game in the ascendency, and bossed possession. Arsenal's makeshift center of midfield and defence looked shaky from the off, and were beaten in the 22nd minute when Danny Welbeck opened the scoring. A flowing United movement attacked like aircraft in formation before Anderson scooped a ball over Arsenal's high defensive line. Welbeck raced in behind and clipped a header over the head of Wojciech Szczesny and into the back of the net.
Moments later, Arsenal were handed a glorious chance to equalize when Jonny Evans clumsily bundled over Theo Walcott in the box. Referee Howard Webb immediately pointed to the spot, and new Arsenal captain Robin Van Persie stepped up to the spot. He hit the ball low and hard towards David De Gea's right hand post, but the young Spaniard got down well and palmed the ball away. United countered almost immediately, and Ashley Young cut in off the left wing before hitting a world-class strike from 30 yards which curled inside of Szczesny's goal.
With Old Trafford pulsating, United continued to attack. After Ashley Young was pulled down by Carl Jenkinson just outside of the Arsenal box, United had a wonderful chance to make it 3-0. Wayne Rooney and Ashley Young worked a cute little free kick routine before the striker stepped up and curled a wonderful shot up and over the wall and into the top corner of the net.
In spite of the injuries and suspensions in Arsenal's ranks, the Gunners did possess a number of quality players in this fixture, and they would not give up quite yet. Walcott, who had won the earlier penalty, managed to pull a goal back for Arsenal on the stroke of halftime when he was played in on goal by Tomas Rosicky, and the England winger slotted the ball calmly through De Gea's legs.
United were unmoved. They started off the second half the way they had begun the first, and attacked from the off. A lightning quick counter attack which culminated in an Ashley Young strike nearly opened the scoring early on in the half, before United found their fourth goal.
The fourth goal was almost a carbon copy of the third. United used another cute free kick routine, and Rooney again put the ball in the back of the net. The only difference with this one was the side of the field it was on. This time taking it from the right side of the field, Rooney feinted as if he would go over the wall before curling a strike towards where Szczesny had been standing. He bit on the fake, and was powerless to keep the curling shot out of his side netting.
At this point, United truly had their tails up and it's hard to imagine any side in the world would have been able to stop them. Nani made it 5-1 in the 67th minute, just three minutes after Rooney's beauty. It was Rooney who played creator, slipping in the Portugese winger. Once in 1v1 with Szczesny, he lofted the ball over the keeper and into the back of the net. It was as if United were the greatest team in the world and Arsenal a group of Sunday League players.
Moments later, Rooney nearly made it six with an Eric Cantona-esque chip from 30 yards out that came back off the woodwork. It would be 6-1 seconds later when Ji-Sung Park and Young combined before the South Korean international hit a lovely shot back across his body that beat Szczesny.
Arsenal pulled a goal back through Van Persie four minutes later after a piece of poor defending allowed him a free volley from six yards out, which he duly buried in the back of the net. However, the day would continue to get worse for Arsenal, courtesy of Carl Jenkinson who was sent off for a poor tackle on Javier Hernandez. Then, after Patrice Evra went on a marauding run down the left wing, Walcott brought him down in the box. Rooney stepped up and calmly put the ball away for his hat trick and, as commentator Peter Drury put it, "send Old Trafford into seventh heaven".
It would be 8-2 in stoppage time when Young had another beauty curl into Szczesny's side netting, completing the rout and one of United's greatest ever days and one of Arsenal's worst ever.
While no one is hoping for another 8-2, all involved will hope for a great match and a win for their respective side. Scratch that, United would love another 8-2.