Fergie rules as Wenger flounders

It was once the biggest rivalry in English football.

Alex Ferguson v Arsene Wenger: the unstoppable force against the immovable object.

Today at Old Trafford they clash for the 48th time since Wenger’s arrival in north London in the autumn of 1996.

But what was once the most eagerly-awaited, compelling fixture of a Premier League season has lost much of its lustre. If it is a rivalry it’s no longer a close one. The unstoppable force remains pretty unstoppable. The immovable object, though, has been pushed from contender to also-ran.

Manchester United’s box office opponents are now noisy neighbours Manchester City and, as last Sunday’s explosive blockbuster at Stamford Bridge once again proved, Chelsea.

Arsenal’s campaign will be defined by results against fellow top-four hopefuls Tottenham and Everton.

United’s attack today will be led by the man whose goals almost single-handedly dragged Arsenal into the top four last season.

Robin van Persie has carried that form into this season and will fancy his chances of adding to the nine goals he’s already scored this season.

That he ended up at Old Trafford is revealing.

“We never thought we could get van Persie. I couldn’t see us getting him,’’ Ferguson said after landing his old adversary’s key player in August.

A few years earlier such a deal would never have happened.

For his part, Wenger conceded financial considerations had forced his hand.

“Unfortunately, we have the reality, the economic reality, and the reality of the desire of the player.

“When you are not able to extend a player and that he is in his last year of contract there was no other way than to let him go.

“It’s sad because he’s a player who has played for eight years at Arsenal, and unfortunately it is an another pill to swallow. We have swallowed a lot, we have always survived. It is a real challenge to meet.”

So far the Gunners have failed to meet that challenge with Olivier Giroud in particular and Lukas Podolski struggling the fill the void left by van Persie’s goals, although Theo Walcott’s display in the astonishing midweek Capital One Cup comeback against Reading offers encouragement.

In contrast, and inspired by van Persie, United have flourished, at least in an attacking sense. Victory today would put them top for a few hours at least and push them nine points clear of Arsenal eight days after Ferguson publicly dismissed the Gunners’ title hopes.

Seven years ago the landscape was very different. That season the rivalry was at its peak. It was the season of Pizzagate incident and the Roy Keane v Patrick Vieira tunnel flashpoint at Highbury.

It wasn’t apparent at the time but the day United ended Arsenal’s Invincibles 49-game unbeaten run in controversial circumstances at Old Trafford in October 2004 was the day Ferguson finally got the upper hand in his personal joust with Wenger.

Neither side would win the league that season — that honour instead went to Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea — but while Arsenal would beat United on penalties to win the FA Cup, it was Fergie who would prosper in the seasons ahead with Wenger struggling to cope with the financial restrictions put upon him by the move from Highbury to the Emirates.

The numbers tell the story. At the end of the 2004/05 season Ferguson was 4-3 ahead in his personal duel with Wenger to win the championship.

The Frenchman edged the FA Cup battle 4-2 while the Scot also had a Champions League triumph to his name. In direct fixtures between the sides Wenger had the slight edge, winning 12 of 29 matches, one ahead of Ferguson with 11 with six draws. Despite the fact Ferguson had vastly greater financial resources, Wenger was competitive.

Since 04/05 the picture altered considerably. Ferguson has added four Premier League titles, a Champions League triumph, two League Cups and a Fifa World Club title to his CV.

In stark contrast, Wenger remains trophylesss.

In terms of direct duels United have won 11 of the 18 tussles since the start of the 05/06 season while Arsenal have won just four with the other three games ending in draws.

Relations between the two men have become far more cordial during this time, most probably an indication that Ferguson no longer views Wenger as a credible threat.

For while the overall head-to-head record remains pretty close (22 wins to United, 16 to Arsenal with nine draws) the Red Devils have clearly been the dominant force in recent seasons, most spectacularly when putting eight past a depleted Gunners side at Old Trafford last season.

The only previous time United had inflicted a league defeat of that scale on the Gunners was back in February 2001 when Ferguson’s men romped to a 6- 1 win at Old Trafford. Arsenal’s next trip to their rivals 15 months later ended with Wenger’s men winning 1-0, a result that secured a memorable league and FA Cup double.

Despite Wenger’s public protestations, Arsenal’s objectives these days are decidedly more modest.

For United, a day like today holds no fear.