Arsene Wenger says Arsenal's FA Cup clash with Manchester United promises to be a special occasion, but the two club's history is irrelevant.
The competition’s two most successful sides meet at Old Trafford in the quarter-final on Monday night, and the Gunners boss says his players are determined to retain the trophy they won last year.
“It is a special intensity because it is between two teams who have a chance to win this competition,” he said.
Manchester United v Arsenal
FA Cup Sixth Round
7.45pm, Monday 9 March
Old Trafford, Manchester
Live on BBC One
Winners receive £360,000 from FA Prize Fund
“Both teams will think if we get over this hurdle, we have a good opportunity to win the competition.”
The Sixth Round tie will be the 15th time the pair have met in the competition, and, with 11 successes apiece, both will have their eyes set on becoming outright record-holders.
And Wenger promised fans his side will travel north and give it everything they have.
Emmanuel Adebayor scored the only goal in 2006 - the last time Arsenal won at Old Trafford
“We go to Manchester United to qualify and to give absolutely everything. That’s the target of the day - hard work, team effort and to give absolutely everything,” he added.
“Both teams will do that and I believe it could be a very interesting game.”
As well as desirable records, the fixture also represents an opportunity for Wenger to end an unwanted statistic.
It is nearing a decade since Arsenal last won at Old Trafford, when they came away 1-0 victors in a Premier League game in September 2006.
They have also lost on each of their last six visits to the Theatre of Dreams, including the crushing 8-2 defeat in 2011.
Arsene Wenger says his side are determined to repeat their 2014 FA Cup success
But Wenger says it is not a stat he is overly concerned with.
“I don’t believe too much in history, I just believe in the performance on the day,” Wenger continued.
“At the moment we are doing very well away from home.
“The size of the pitch is exactly the same everywhere, it’s just down to how much we turn up and how much effort we put in to win the game.”
