As Manchester United manager against Arsenal, Erik ten Hag’s record stood at three losses and one win, a far cry from the days of Sir Alex Ferguson.
Ferguson and Arsene Wenger had some famous duels in the past, matches that Arsenal both won and lost regularly, one of the greatest rivalries of the Premier League era.
Of course, Mikel Arteta and Ten Hag haven’t exactly had the same level of competition, a duel that the Spaniard often won.
In his first game against Arsenal, the former United boss was victorious – who was sacked after defeat to West Ham United this weekend.
Ten Hag’s side beat Arsenal 3-1 at Old Trafford back in September 2022, a result that proved to be something of a red herring.
Since, Arsenal have won 3-2, 3-1 and 1-0, with that latest win coming in May of this year.
Ruud van Nistelrooy might face Arsenal as interim Man United manager
It’s safe to say that Arsenal have enjoyed playing against Ten Hag’s teams, as have a lot of other Premier League sides this season.
Unfortunately, Arsenal haven’t played Man United yet this season, meaning they could be at a slight disadvantage in comparison to some of their league rivals.
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Should United swiftly find a successful new manager, Arsenal might be the unfortunate victims of that ‘bounce’ in early December.
Arsenal are scheduled to welcome United to the Emirates Stadium on December 3, a midweek evening fixture.
As of now, that will be a game against Ruud van Nistelrooy as interim manager, although it seems unlikely that he will still be in charge at that stage.
Perhaps Liverpool’s 3-0 away win against United earlier this season best demonstrates why Arsenal might feel unlucky, who will surely face a tougher task when they head to Old Trafford next year.
Ruud van Nistelrooy’s record against Arsenal
Of course, Van Nistelrooy may still be in charge of United in December, whether that’s still as an interim or if he earns the job permanently.
And the Dutchman already has a better record against Arsenal as a coach in comparison to his sacked compatriot.
Arsenal faced Van Nistelrooy led PSV Eindhoven twice in the Europa League group stages two seasons ago.
PSV beat Arsenal 2-0 back in October 2022, a game that took place seven days after Arsenal had won 1-0 at the Emirates.
It will certainly be an interesting situation to watch unfold, and one that does seem to be bad news for Arsenal, even if Arteta will still be confident of beating United regardless.
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