United and Arsenal will show how much 'old pot' means

There Are two photographs which occupy centre stage at Arsenal's London Colney training ground. Placed at the head of the stairway to the canteen, where the players see them as they head for their grilled broccoli and steamed chicken, are shots of Michael Thomas scoring his famous 1989 championship-winning goal at Anfield and Charlie George celebrating his legendary winner in the 1971 FA Cup final.

It is a daily reminder to Arsenal's multi-national squad that the club's fabled heritage, about which they regularly comment, is built on the twin pillars of League and Cup. In all their golden eras, those of Herbert Chapman, George Graham and the current one under Arsène Wenger, the club have lifted both trophies.

Now, though, there is a third prize to savour, one which increasingly dominates the football landscape. The evidence is not there at London Colney, not yet, but journey 200 miles north, to Manchester United's equally high-tech Carrington complex, and you will see three photographs adorning the foyer. There is one for each of the trophies lifted in the 1999 treble but the picture in prime position is not that of Roy Keane with the FA Cup. It is of Peter Schmeichel getting his giant paws on the European Champions' Cup.

In the modern world, when clubs like these have wage bills the size of small country's GDP, the Champions' League is the Holy Grail. At Old Trafford today, though, the FA Cup will enjoy a return to favour. The leviathans of the English game contest a fifth-round tie which has far more resting upon it than a place in the quarter-finals.

"It could be a pivotal moment," Sir Alex Ferguson said yesterday. "When we beat them in the semi-final [in 1999] it lifted us for the remaining games. Who knows if we beat Arsenal tomorrow how that would affect the League?"

Wenger, whose side are three points clear of United in the Premiership, concurred. "It is a big, big game for us," he said yesterday. "Whenever Manchester United and Arsenal play there is always a big meaning. We want to win because it will strengthen our confidence and our belief we can win there. To win always makes you stronger."

Wenger, whose side were brushed aside when they lost 2-0 at Old Trafford in December, added: "The players were deeply hurt. They are intelligent and realised we were not good enough. Our determination was not strong enough, we were beaten too much in the 50-50s."

The winner of today's match will also to have to earn the right to play. United are expected to toughen the midfield with the inclusion of Phil Neville and Nicky Butt. Wenger, in a nod to the new priorities (Arsenal play Ajax on Tuesday) intimated that he might tinker with what is regarded as his strongest team. That, though, is likely to mean including the likes of Ray Parlour and Giovanni van Bronckhorst rather than Robert Pires and Sylvain Wiltord. Less flair, bit more muscle.

The tie is the latest indication of a revival in the FA Cup's fortunes. The old pot, which had become tarnished through the neglect of both the leading Premiership clubs and the Football Association, has been buffed to a nice sheen by this season's competition. Each draw has contained several enticing ties, with either giantkilling potential or a collision of heavyweights.

At each stage there have been enough shocks to enliven the competition without denuding it of the quality required to maintain interest. The third round included Newcastle's thrilling defeat at Molineux and Everton's startling one at Gay Meadow. Farnborough's grubby soiling of their fairytale pairing with Arsenal soured the fourth round but Dagenham & Redbridge's brave defeat at Norwich, and Crystal Palace's stunning victory at Anfield, provided redemption.

"The FA Cup has picked up because we have had some interesting draws," Ferguson said. "There are only seven Premier League teams left, which proves the old theory about Cup shocks. It's not because clubs are focusing on the Premiership, nobody would dismiss an FA Cup run. Liverpool and Arsenal played the final two years ago; last year it was Arsenal and Chelsea. That tells you everything."

Indeed, recent history suggests whoever emerges from this tie, and it could require a mutually unwanted replay on 5 March, will probably win the competition. The FA Cup's appeal may be based on its reputation for giantkilling but the reality is increasingly less romantic. Since the Premiership began in 1992-93 the finalists have been exclusively drawn from the top flight. The winners, with the exception of Everton in 1995, have always finished in the top 10 with the last seven coming from the top six. Arsenal and Manchester United have won six of the 10 competitions in that time, with Chelsea succeeding twice and Liverpool once.

In the previous decade three winners finished outside the (old) First Division's top 10 and one finalist (Sunderland) came from the Second Division. In the 10 preceding seasons there were only four victories by top 10 top-flight clubs and four Second Division teams reached Wembley, three of them winning.

It is not just a sense of pride and history which ensured the importance of today's tie would devalue England's midweek international. If United win they will have already banked £1.1m in broadcasting fees and prize-money alone, add three full houses and their merchandising expenditure and "Gold Trafford" will be more than £5m richer. Even for a club with apparently permanent membership of the Champions' League, that is a significant sum.

Once the match starts none of that will matter. Big matches can disappoint, especially when they have a lunchtime start, but these teams' mutual antagonism and respective quality, plus the presence of 9,000 away fans, ought to confirm there is life in the Cup yet.

Battles of the giants three classic Manchester United v Arsenal FA Cup confrontations

14 april 1999: fa cup semi-final replay (villa park)

Arguably the best ever semi-final in the competition. Bewitching football, drama, tension, a sending-off, a saved penalty and a last-gasp extra-time decider that was one of the finest goals the tournament has seen. David Beckham scored a first-half scorcher. Dennis Bergkamp levelled in the 69th minute. Roy Keane saw the red card for a foul on Marc Overmars with 15 minutes left. Peter Schmeichel then saved a stoppage-time penalty. Deep into extra time, with penalties imminent, Ryan Giggs (above) of 10-man United set off on a mazy, 70-yard run that saw 13 touches of the ball and ended with a wonder goal.

12 May 1979: FA Cup final (wembley)

They score. They always score. It's the modern-day mantra of Manchester United but on this occasion Arsenal went home with the latest of last-gasp wins. The Londoners established a 2-0 half-time lead through Brian Talbot – just bought from Ipswich – and Frank Stapleton. In the 86th minute, Gordon McQueen reduced the deficit to 2-1 and two minutes later Sammy McIlroy netted an equaliser. With extra-time looking inevitable, Liam Brady, the diamond talent in the Arsenal team, ran from his own half, sent Graham Rix clear on the left, Rix centred, and Alan Sunderland (centre), on the far post, scored. Three goals in four minutes, two to United, but Arsenal went home with the Cup.

16 April1983 FA Cup semi-final (villa park)

United had already trounced Arsenal 6-3 over two legs in the Milk Cup semi-final in February, Steve Coppell scoring three of those goals in a superb season. The FA Cup semi-final saw Tony Woodcock give Arsenal a first-half lead after a defensive error. United then turned their overall dominance into goals in a compelling second half. A swift move down the wing ended in a cross to Bryan Robson, who spun and fired home the equaliser. Norman Whiteside (right) produced an unstoppable volley for the winner. United were initially shocked in the final, held 2-2 by Brighton. The replay, on the United club president Sir Matt Busby's 74th birthday, was a 4-0 romp for Ron Atkinson's men.