League Division One · Matchday 17
Arsenal v Manchester United
2–1
Manchester United lost 1–2 to Arsenal at Highbury on Saturday 17th December 1988 in the League Division One. Mark Hughes (81') scored for United.
Timeline
Running score
- Kick Off
- 8' Michael Thomas 1–0
- 17' Paul Merson 2–0
- Half Time
- 75' Russell Beardsmore for Martin
- 81' Mark Hughes 2–1
- 89' Tony Gill for Blackmore
- Full Time 2–1
Match Facts
Starting XI
Player
10 Mark Hughes 81'
Managers
MUFC
Alex Ferguson
Manchester United
OPP
George Graham
Arsenal
United vs Arsenal History
Meeting 150 of 245
245
Played
100
Won
55
Drawn
90
Lost
368
Goals For
349
Goals Against
All-time record, from the first meeting on Saturday 13th October 1894. After this match United had played Arsenal 150 times: 63W 28D 59L.
19 Aug 1987 D 0–0 D1 24 Jan 1988 W 2–1 D1 20 Feb 1988 L 1–2 FAC
17 Dec 1988 L 1–2 This match
2 Apr 1989 D 1–1 D1 19 Aug 1989 W 4–1 D1 3 Dec 1989 L 0–1 D1 | All-time | P | W | D | L | F | A | Win% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 117 | 66 | 30 | 21 | 211 | 104 | 56.4 |
| Away | 117 | 31 | 21 | 65 | 146 | 230 | 26.5 |
| Neutral | 11 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 11 | 15 | 27.3 |
Match results, lineups and goalscorers compiled from mufcinfo.com; advanced match statistics (xG, shots, possession) via FBref and FotMob where available. Last updated 29 September 2026. How we compile this data →