With Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson in the dugout, you were guaranteed box office football, gripping entertainment and two sides going at each other's throats in the pursuit of success when Arsenal played Manchester United.
The fixtures was arguably English football's biggest rivalry just over 20 years ago, but it's undoubtedly lost its edge as time has gone on amid on-field struggles for both sides.
However, January 12, 2025 could be the date where all of that changes - the result of a barnstorming FA Cup tie that saw United oust Arsenal on penalties after 120 minutes of action.
Altay Bayindir is the name that will be on the lips of United supporters, having saved a penalty from Martin Odegaard in regulation time and made countless other sprawling stops before denying Kai Havertz in the shootout.
How the game unfolded
A turbo-charged atmosphere at the Emirates Stadium was surprisingly rewarded with a meek, uneventful first half that saw Gabriel Jesus' potentially serious knee injury overshadow proceedings.
Namesake Gabriel Martinelli's disallowed goal just after the quarter-hour mark was the first incident of any note - the Brazilian adjudged to be offside before sliding the ball into the back of Bayindir's net - but Arsenal, despite being roared on by the home faithful, failed to sustain any kind of momentum.
Odegaard looked bright in patches but he struggled to unpick a well-organised United defence that were comfortable against a Gunners side lacking Bukayo Saka's quality on the right flank.
Kobbie Mainoo had United's first effort on goal, forcing David Raya to get down smartly and keep out his 25-yard strike, before Lisandro Martinez was handed the game's first yellow card after clashing with Jesus - a coming together that may have indirectly led to his subsequent knee injury.
Bruno Fernandes was also booked for dissent, in response to a clash with Jesus that ultimately saw the 27-year-old taken away on a stretcher with his shirt hiding the pain on his face.
The half-time analysis of Match of the Day trio Gary Lineker, Theo Walcott and Micah Richards, coupled with a cup of tea and McVitie's Milk Chocolate Digestive, had barely been given time to go down before the game suddenly sparked into life.
Alejandro Garnacho emerged from a 50/50 clash with Gabriel on the halfway line with the ball and galavanted into Arsenal territory. The Argentine forward, recalled as Amad Diallo was benched, then played a precise ball across the area to the onrushing Fernandes, who rifled home a terrific finish with his in-step to send the 8,000 travelling United supporters wild.
At that point, Arsenal were doubtlessly second best, but the sending off of Diogo Dalot for a second yellow card - for a silly lunge at a loose ball - gifted the competition's most successful side (14 wins) a way back into the match. Dalot had barely got down the tunnel before Gabriel Magalhaes equalised - the goal-loving centre-back benefitting from a poor Bayindir punch to fire a low shot home via a deflection off Matthijs de Ligt's boot.
Bayindir then took centre stage as his rather average performance in the first 70 minutes of the game was swapped out for something resembling prime Peter Schmeichel.
First, after Harry Maguire was adjudged to have fouled Havertz in the penalty area, he palmed away Odegaard's penalty, before a wonderful tip over the bar denied substitute Declan Rice. Havertz then inexplicably put the ball over the bar from close range, as Arsenal sought to press home their player advantage, with Rice also denied once more by Bayindir before the end of regulation time.
A terrific last-gasp clearance from De Ligt prevented substitute Leandro Trossard from scoring as extra-time got underway, while at the other end, Raya, a virtual spectator since Fernandes' goal, got down brilliantly to save substitute Joshua Zirkzee's deflected shot at the beginning of the second 15 minutes.
Neither side could find a winner, sending the game to penalties, and Bayindir was again the hero as he ensured Havertz had a game to remember for all the wrong reasons. United scored all five of their spot-kicks, Zirkzee given the honour of sending the holders through to the fourth round.
Penalty shootout
- 0-1 - Bruno Fernandes (Man Utd) - SCORED
- 1-1 - Martin Odegaard (Arsenal) - SCORED
- 1-2 - Amad Diallo (Man Utd) - SCORED
- 1-2 - Kai Havertz (Arsenal) - SAVED
- 1-3 - Leny Yoro (Man Utd) - SCORED
- 2-3 - Declan Rice (Arsenal) - SCORED
- 2-4 - Lisandro Martinez (Man Utd) - SCORED
- 3-4 - Thomas Partey (Arsenal) - SCORED
- 3-5 - Joshua Zirkzee (Man Utd) - SCORED
Player ratings
Check out player ratings from Arsenal 1-1 Man Utd (3-5 pens) here.
Gabriel Martinelli's disallowed goal - right or wrong?
Nothing beats a bit of controversy, particularly when it's a heavyweight tussle because two of England's most successful clubs.
With VAR not in use in the third round of the FA Cup, it was down to the on-field officials to have the final judgment on every decision. And in the 17th minute of the game, there was a decision to make over whether or not Gabriel Martinelli was offside before he tucked the ball into the back of United's net.
The Brazilian was a yard off, that much abundantly clear, but the disputable element was whether Harry Maguire's attempt to cut out Odegaard's through ball was an attempt to play the ball or merely a deflection.
Were it the former, Martinelli would have been deemed onside, but the assistant referee on the near touchline opted for the latter - much to the dismay of Mikel Arteta as he chuntered in the ear of the fourth official: "It's not possible".
Sadly, for the Spaniard, it was possible and the call of no goal stood.
Altay Bayindir goes from zero to hero
Bayindir played 145 games across all competitions for Turkish giants Fenerbahce - certainly a big enough sample for United to decide whether or not he'd cut the mustard in England.
The 26-year-old was intentionally signed to be Andre Onana's understudy but had featured just four times for the Red Devils - three of those appearances coming in this season's Carabao Cup. Judging by his kicking ability - or distinct lack of it - and his initial aura vacuum whenever the ball came into the box aerially, he has some work to do.
Indeed, if Amorim was keen to give Bayindir the benefit of the doubt for the disastrous performance of his feet, it's unlikely he'll be so kind when addressing his flap from a cross that directly led to Gabriel's equaliser.
However.
While all of the above was, well, bad, what he produced in the final 20 minutes of normal time was nothing short of spectacular. First, Bayindir got down to his left brilliantly to keep Odegaard's limp penalty out - the first time the Norwegian has missed one in senior football - before he showed cat-like reflexes to deny Declan Rice's point-blank header. Yes, the England midfielder put it within his reach, but it was a super stop nevertheless.
Bayindir then put the squeeze on Havertz to skew the ball over the bar in the dying embers, and again denied Rice by flicking his late left-footed effort round the post.
In the shootout, he guessed the right way to deny Havertz once more - going from zero to hero in the blink of an eye.
The rebirth of Harry Maguire
There was a time where Harry Maguire's Manchester United career looked to be over. Out of the team and out of chances, he was only still knocking around because of his high wage packet.
But in the familiar back-three system of Amorim - a formation Maguire starred in for Gareth Southgate while playing for England - the 31-year-old looks at home. Flanked by De Ligt and Martinez, he made nine defensive actions in the first half alone, cleared the ball five times and won four out of the four duels he contested. He also rose like a salmon to head clear on four occasions.
The second half was more of the same, clearing the ball out of United's penalty on numerous occasions, and he was extremely unfortunate to concede a penalty for the most minute contact with Havertz. Leny Yoro is waiting to become a regular in United's side, but it's hard to argue against Maguire's inclusion when he plays at this level.
Lack of Bukayo Saka spark an increasing concern for Arsenal
Make no mistake about it, Arsenal are a completely different side without Bukayo Saka.
To say they are devoid of ideas without the 23-year-old is perhaps a tad extreme, but it's indisputable that most attacks seem to come to a grinding halt without his invention, ability to beat a man on the inside or outside, or his spur of the moment quality on the ball.
Things only really improved in the chance creation department after Dalot's red card, which allowed Arteta's side more space and freedom to create overloads. And without wanting to sound like a broken record, they lack that player with a killer instinct in front of goal - Odegaard's timid effort from the spot and Havertz's bizarre late miss before extra-time more evidence of what they are missing.
Alexander Isak is the one, though how Arsenal go about raising �150m is well above this writer's pay grade.
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