Tottenham Hotspur has risen in the ranks of the EPL , therefore , watering down the most talked about rivalry between Manchester United and Arsenal .
Various factors have been suggested for the diminishing importance of the rivalry in the 2010s , such as the ascendancy of other clubs including local rivals of both ( Chelsea , ( Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City ) .Arsenal and Manchester United first played a competitive match in October 1894 ; as of April 2018 , the two clubs have faced each other 228 times in total .
Arsenal F.C.–Manchester United F.C. rivalry