Ranking the Top 4 Forwards to Have Played for Arsenal and Manchester United
Manchester United and Arsenal are down to one player who has played at both clubs in their current squads. Danny Welbeck made the leap at the end of the summer of 2014, and he has been missed by United fans for mostly sentimental reasons, rather than necessarily reasons of output.
He, of course, scored the goal that knocked United out of the FA Cup last season, but he has not generally lit up the scoring charts at Arsenal.
The following players, though, did well at both, excelled for at least one and represent the top-four forwards to ply their trade for both these historic clubs.
Brian Kidd
1 of 4
Brian Kidd had a splendid first season at Arsenal, after he made the switch from United in 1974. He was their top scorer with 23 goals in all competitions, per 11v11.com.
He had left United with a record of 70 goals in 264 appearances, per the Telegraph. His most famous contribution had come in the final of the 1968 European Cup. He had been part of Sir Matt Busby's rebuilding process following the Munich air disaster, emerging from the youth team to become an important first-team player.
At Arsenal, he "failed to leave a lasting impact on the club," according to the Telegraph, but for his European heroics for United and his big-scoring first season at Arsenal, he deserves a place here.
Frank Stapleton
2 of 4
Frank Stapleton won one FA Cup with Arsenal and two with Manchester United. For both clubs, winning the FA Cup represented success in an era where the league was dominated by Liverpool.
He was not an enormously prolific forward by modern standards, scoring 108 goals in 300 appearances for Arsenal and 78 goals in 288 games for United, per the Telegraph. However, at around one goal every three games he certainly made a contribution and he was a tough, bruising presence for defenders to deal with.
His high point for Arsenal was the cup final where he scored against United as the Gunners broke United hearts. United had fought back from 2-0 down to take the game to extra time, but Alan Sunderland scored an extra-time winner to keep the trophy in London.
Stapleton would help United to victory in the 1983 and 1985 FA Cup finals, starting the games up front in both in the initial ties and the replays in '83 and again in '85.
Robin Van Persie
3 of 4
Robin van Persie's move from Arsenal to United came with plenty of acrimony. Indeed, his last game at Old Trafford was against his old club, whose fans taunted him with abuse.
His move was, of course, spectacularly successful in the short term. The season he arrived, he catalysed Manchester United and helped—and sometimes appeared to single-handedly drag—the side to Sir Alex Ferguson's final title triumph.
That league title was added to the FA Cup he had won with Arsenal, when they beat United on penalties, just as Frank Stapleton's Arsenal had defeated United when they met in an FA Cup final.
He belongs on this list for his long career at Arsenal and his explosive impact at United, which earned him a lifelong place in United folklore. Guiding the side to title No. 20, wearing the No. 20 on his back, Van Persie may have faded quickly after his first season, but that year was unforgettable.
David Herd
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David Herd is a player who should perhaps be better known by younger Manchester United fans than he is. He scored 145 times in 265 games for the club in their 1960s heyday.
His time at Old Trafford was predated by a successful spell at Highbury, where he scored 99 goals in 166 games for Arsenal. However, while personally successful at Arsenal, he never won trophies there. At United he won the FA Cup—scoring in the 1963 final—and two league titles.
United's website—where the above goal data is sourced from—said of his second title win: "Title glory followed in May 1967, but success was tinged with sadness for Herd, who suffered a broken leg in the preceding March when scoring a goal in United's 5-2 win over Leicester City. It was an injury that would ultimately limit his first-team chances."
A sad end, then, but a superb career. A star in his day for both clubs, Herd pips Van Persie because of his sustained success at the teams.
