IT WAS ONLY four years ago that Man United beat Arsenal 2-0 in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup, yet much has changed since then.
United are obviously no longer as formidable an outfit as they were considered in 2011, while many players have departed in the subsequent years.
With that in mind, we’ve decided to look back on the sides’ clash and check out what the players are up to these days…
Man United
Edwin Van der Sar: Considered by many as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time, Van der Sar retired from football at the end of the 2010-11 season. Since then, he has set up his own charitable foundation and has worked as a pundit for Dutch television.
Patrice Evra: Following a largely successful period at Old Trafford, Evra eventually left United last season to join Juventus. The French defender has been a regular at the Serie A club this year.
Wes Brown: Brown was another to leave United at the end of that season for Sunderland — for whom he still remains a regular at centre-back.
Chris Smalling: One of just three players currently playing for United from this starting XI, the 25-year-old has been a regular presence in the United back four this season.
Fabio Da Silva: One of the goalscorers in this game, Fabio never really lived up to his potential and now struggles to hold down a place at Cardiff.
Rafael: Unlike his twin brother, he is still on the books at Old Trafford, though not for much longer, if recent rumours are to be believed.
John O’Shea: Another who left United in 2011, O’Shea has proceeded to have a successful stint at Sunderland, already making close to 100 appearances for the Black Cats.
Darron Gibson: Left the Red Devils for Everton in 2012, and got his period with the Toffees off to a bright start, however his career has been hampered by injuries more recently.
Wayne Rooney: Still very much a United player, albeit one who plays in midfield more than he’d like to these days.
Javier Hernandez: Hernandez remains officially a United player, but is currently on loan at Real Madrid, and has not had much more success getting game time in Spain compared with England.
Arsenal
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(Almunia spent eight years at Arsenal)
Manuel Almunia: After eight years at Arsenal, Almunia eventually left for Watford. He played for two more seasons at Vicarage Road, before retiring at the end of last season.
Bacary Sagna: After making over 200 appearances for Arsenal, Sagna joined Man City in 2014. He has found it tough to get first-team football at the Etihad, though he did play in their recent 2-0 win over Leicester
Laurent Koscielny: For an Arsenal player, Koscielny has been remarkably consistent. He has now made over 100 appearances for the Gunners and is still widely regarded as their best defender.
Johan Djourou: After eight years at the club, Djourou left Arsenal in 2014, joining Hamburg permanently following a successful loan spell with the Bundesliga club.
Kieran Gibbs: An inexperienced youngster in 2011, Gibbs is now a much more familiar presence in the Arsenal side, starting most of their matches this season.
Samir Nasri: Nasri joined Man City in 2011 and the Arsenal fans haven’t forgiven him since. Whether his move can be considered a success is debatable — on the one hand, he has won two Premier League titles since joining City, but most feel he has never quite hit the heights that a player of his incredible talent has the potential to achieve.
Denilson: Due to injury problems and the emergence of Jack Wilshere, Denilson was deemed surplus to requirements at Arsenal. He eventually returned to his old club Sao Paulo, after a successful loan spell there.
Jack Wilshere: Still at Arsenal, but another who has struggled to live up to the big expectation that has been placed on his shoulders. However, at 23, Wilshere still has plenty of time to develop into a top player.
Andrey Arshavin: A player of enormous talent who looked world class when in the mood, but Arsene Wenger eventually lost patience with his poor work ethic and he was sold to Zenit Saint Petersburg in 2013.
Robin Van Persie: The less said the better from an Arsenal fan’s perspective. After growing frustrated at the Emirates, he eventually made a controversial move to United, where he won the title in his first season with the club. Along with the rest of his teammates though, he has underwhelmed to a degree in the post-Fergie era.
Where are they now? The first XIs the last time United met Arsenal in an FA Cup quarter
IT WAS ONLY four years ago that Man United beat Arsenal 2-0 in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup, yet much has changed since then.
United are obviously no longer as formidable an outfit as they were considered in 2011, while many players have departed in the subsequent years.
With that in mind, we’ve decided to look back on the sides’ clash and check out what the players are up to these days…
Man United
Edwin Van der Sar: Considered by many as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time, Van der Sar retired from football at the end of the 2010-11 season. Since then, he has set up his own charitable foundation and has worked as a pundit for Dutch television.
Patrice Evra: Following a largely successful period at Old Trafford, Evra eventually left United last season to join Juventus. The French defender has been a regular at the Serie A club this year.
Wes Brown: Brown was another to leave United at the end of that season for Sunderland — for whom he still remains a regular at centre-back.
Chris Smalling: One of just three players currently playing for United from this starting XI, the 25-year-old has been a regular presence in the United back four this season.
Nemanja Vidic: Vidic left the club after the disappointment of last season. He has struggled to adapt to life at his new club Inter, and has even been linked with a move back to the Red Devils.
Fabio Da Silva: One of the goalscorers in this game, Fabio never really lived up to his potential and now struggles to hold down a place at Cardiff.
Rafael: Unlike his twin brother, he is still on the books at Old Trafford, though not for much longer, if recent rumours are to be believed.
John O’Shea: Another who left United in 2011, O’Shea has proceeded to have a successful stint at Sunderland, already making close to 100 appearances for the Black Cats.
Darron Gibson: Left the Red Devils for Everton in 2012, and got his period with the Toffees off to a bright start, however his career has been hampered by injuries more recently.
Wayne Rooney: Still very much a United player, albeit one who plays in midfield more than he’d like to these days.
Javier Hernandez: Hernandez remains officially a United player, but is currently on loan at Real Madrid, and has not had much more success getting game time in Spain compared with England.
Arsenal
(Almunia spent eight years at Arsenal)
Manuel Almunia: After eight years at Arsenal, Almunia eventually left for Watford. He played for two more seasons at Vicarage Road, before retiring at the end of last season.
Bacary Sagna: After making over 200 appearances for Arsenal, Sagna joined Man City in 2014. He has found it tough to get first-team football at the Etihad, though he did play in their recent 2-0 win over Leicester
Laurent Koscielny: For an Arsenal player, Koscielny has been remarkably consistent. He has now made over 100 appearances for the Gunners and is still widely regarded as their best defender.
Johan Djourou: After eight years at the club, Djourou left Arsenal in 2014, joining Hamburg permanently following a successful loan spell with the Bundesliga club.
Kieran Gibbs: An inexperienced youngster in 2011, Gibbs is now a much more familiar presence in the Arsenal side, starting most of their matches this season.
Abou Diaby: The 28-year-old is still at Arsenal, though recent rumours suggest he will be released by the Gunners imminently, after 42 injuries during his nine-year career at the club.
Samir Nasri: Nasri joined Man City in 2011 and the Arsenal fans haven’t forgiven him since. Whether his move can be considered a success is debatable — on the one hand, he has won two Premier League titles since joining City, but most feel he has never quite hit the heights that a player of his incredible talent has the potential to achieve.
Denilson: Due to injury problems and the emergence of Jack Wilshere, Denilson was deemed surplus to requirements at Arsenal. He eventually returned to his old club Sao Paulo, after a successful loan spell there.
Jack Wilshere: Still at Arsenal, but another who has struggled to live up to the big expectation that has been placed on his shoulders. However, at 23, Wilshere still has plenty of time to develop into a top player.
Andrey Arshavin: A player of enormous talent who looked world class when in the mood, but Arsene Wenger eventually lost patience with his poor work ethic and he was sold to Zenit Saint Petersburg in 2013.
Robin Van Persie: The less said the better from an Arsenal fan’s perspective. After growing frustrated at the Emirates, he eventually made a controversial move to United, where he won the title in his first season with the club. Along with the rest of his teammates though, he has underwhelmed to a degree in the post-Fergie era.
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