Arteta is blessed with plenty of attacking riches, but his latest iteration of Arsenal is more functional than free-flowing. That is partly the reason Viktor Gyokeres has struggled since his switch from Sporting CP, with many of his intelligent runs in behind being ignored, while goal and assist numbers for long-time servants such as Saka and Gabriel Martinelli are significantly down on previous years.
The Gunners look for the marginal gains to win matches instead of letting loose, likely because Arteta is conscious of the fact that they came out second-best to Manchester City and Liverpool when trying to play a more expansive brand of football. United were never burdened by that kind of self-doubt.
Ferguson's full-throttle philosophy made the Red Devils the most feared team in the country. He got the maximum from an expensively-assembled strike force consisting of Rooney, Carlos Tevez and Cristiano Ronaldo. Such was that triumvirate's ruthlessness in the final third, Louis Saha, a top Premier League marksman who would have been a nailed starter for most other sides, barely got a look-in.
Tevez would usually lead the line, and was a nightmare for defenders with his constant harrying and instinctive finishing. Rooney dropped deeper in a free role that allowed him to show off the full breadth of his creative talents, and Ronaldo redefined the wing position as United's primary goal-scorer, registering a staggering 42 in all competitions.
Ferguson could also still call upon a veteran Ryan Giggs, who had adapted his game brilliantly to step into the centre of midfield, and Ronaldo's enigmatic Portuguese compatriot Nani, another with a penchant for match-winning moments of genius.
United were absolutely electric on the transition and could hurt teams in a variety of different ways, with Arsene Wenger's Arsenal among those to bend to their will. They played out a thrilling 2-2 draw at the Emirates in the league, but Ferguson's men won the reverse fixture 2-1 at Old Trafford, and thrashed the Gunners 4-0 in the fifth round of the FA Cup.