Manchester United v Arsenal: We look at the first-ever FA Cup tie between the old rivals

Arsenal travel to Manchester United on Monday night for an FA Cup quarter-final tie - almost 109 years to the day since the first meeting between the clubs in the competition.

Their 1906 clash on March 10 was also a quarter-final fixture - but there the similarities end.

Hosts United, having changed their name from Newton Heath four years earlier, were third in the Second Division at the time, while Arsenal were in the midst of a relegation battle in the top tier.

The Gunners, still known as Woolwich Arsenal, had managed just one league win out of 13 away from the Manor Ground in Plumstead, while United were brimming with confidence, having thumped previous FA Cup holders Aston Villa 5-1 in the third round two weeks earlier. 

That feat was nationally commended as Villa were a top-five First Division side and had just strengthened their squad with a £550 double-signing from Clapton Orient [now Leyton Orient]. 

On the back of the Villa result and their steady league form of just three defeats in 27, “The United”, as the press referred to them back then, in their first-ever last-eight FA Cup tie, were favourites when they kicked off on a muddy, heavy pitch at Bank Street.

Barely a blade of grass was in sight as both sides lined up in the once-fashionable 2-3-3-2 formation, and it wasn’t long before the fixture was living up to its current billing as Charlie Sager opened the scoring for the hosts within one minute of referee J.B. Brodie’s first whistle.

But the United supporters had barely captured their breath before the Gunners were on equal terms. From the re-start, Arsenal advanced and Billy Garbutt forced United keeper Harry Moger to parry into the path of the prolific Bert Freeman, who tucked away the rebound.

At 1-1, with only 90 seconds on the clock, the tie was destined to be a cup classic, and the free-flowing football continued, with United responding well to the equaliser amid a frantic first-half that was full of attacks and counter-attacks.

Around the half-hour mark, Peddie restored United’s lead with a neat, high finish after being teed up by Alf Schofield, a talented athlete who also turned out for the East Lancashire Cricket Club.

Garbutt then missed an open goal for Arsenal but the visitors went into the break level after Tim Coleman netted from close range, following a corner shortly before the interval.

The attendance at the game was reported as just shy of 30,000 by The Manchester Courier. The gate receipts amassed £951 and, at a cost of less than three-and-a-half pence for admission, it’s fair to say the crowd were getting their money’s worth.

If the first-half is remembered for fabulous attacking football on a treacherous pitch, the second was all about one man: Arsenal’s first England international, goalkeeper Jimmy Ashcroft.

United looked threatening throughout the second half but the brilliance of the Gunners' shot-stopper proved decisive.

Alex Bell and Dick Wombwell both forced Ashcroft into fingertip saves at the start of the second half, while Arsenal defender Percy Sands was on top form as Arsenal withstood constant pressure.

Punching clear from corners and distributing long throws, Ashcroft was ahead of his time, and made several more close-range saves.

As for his team-mates, Arsenal were more conservative in the second half and their superior stamina began to tell.

United’s Charlie Roberts was man-marking Tom Fitchie but that gave speedy Freeman space to run and the forward tucked in his second after a splendid dribble, handing Arsenal the lead for the first time in the match, against the run of play.

Despite United's best efforts to force a replay there was no way past Ashcroft and, at the final whistle, the 28-year-old was carried off the field on the shoulders of his jubilant peers. The Lancashire Evening Post ran with the headline “Ashcroft the great” on Monday morning’s back pages.

“Disappointed without a doubt are the United team and their supporters in having to say goodbye to the competition, but they have done remarkably well, especially in a financial sense.”

Arsenal would go on to lose to Newcastle in the semi-final, but their league form improved and they finished 12th in the table. United, meanwhile, ended the season as runners-up in the Second Division, gaining promotion to the top tier.

For the first time the FA Cup honour would go to Everton, who beat Newcastle 1-0 in the final at Crystal Palace on April 21.