Hello and welcome to Sports Mole's live text coverage of the FA Cup fourth-round tie between Arsenal and Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium. The competition's two most successful sides - also battling it out for a top-four spot in the Premier League - lock horns in North London for a place in the last 16. The Gunners have lifted the famous cup on 13 previous occasions, compared to United's 12 triumphs.

Either Arsenal or Man United have also competed in each of the last five FA Cup finals, meanwhile, so there is no doubt that they are true heavyweights of this competitions. Only one side can make it through, though, either tonight or in a replay next month, with the losers left to focus on a top-four spot in the Premier League and progression in Europe. Before looking at the sides in a little more depth, let us first check out some confirmed team news...

ARSENAL TEAM NEWS!

STARTING XI: Cech; Maitland-Niles, Sokratis, Koscielny, Kolasinac; Torreira, Ramsey, Xhaka; Aubameyang, Lacazette, Iwobi

SUBS: Leno, Mustafi, Monreal, Lichtsteiner, Elneny, Guendouzi, Ozil

Arsenal show three changes from their 2-0 win over Chelsea last Saturday, bringing in Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Petr Cech and Alex Iwobi. Maitland-Niles gets the nod over Stephan Lichsteiner in the absence of Hector Bellerin, who damaged his anterior cruciate ligament last week and is now expected to miss up to nine months of action. Cech comes in for possibly his final appearance against United in place of the benched Bernd Leno.

Iwobi is also recalled in attack, either in a 4-2-3-1 alongside Aaron Ramsey and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, or possibly in something closer to a 4-4-2 as we saw last weekend, which would see him paired with Aubameyang up top. Either way, there is still no room for Mesut Ozil, who has now been on the bench for the Gunners' last two matches. The German playmaker has not featured at all since being subbed against Brighton & Hove Albion on Boxing Day.

Matteo Guendouzi makes way from the Chelsea game, so it looks as though Unai Emery will field Granit Xhaka, Lucas Torreira and Ramsey in a three-man midfield. If that is the case, Iwobi will provide support for Aubameyang and Lacazette, who thrived when used in tandem last time out. Elsewhere, there is no Henrikh Mkhitaryan in the Arsenal squad today as the Ukrainian - who made the switch from United 12 months ago - has yet to recover from the fractured metatarsal that has kept him out or five weeks.

MANCHESTER UNITED TEAM NEWS!

STARTING XI: Romero; Young, Lindelof, Bailly, Shaw; Herrera, Matic, Pogba; Lingard, Lukaku, Sanchez

SUBS: Grant, Dalot, Jones, Fred, Mata, Martial, Rashford

Man United show five changes from their most recent outing, a 2-1 win over Brighton, including a return to the starting lineup for former Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez - his first appearance at this ground since leaving the club last January. Sanchez is making only his second start since early November, taking over from Anthony Martial on the left of the Red Devils' front three.

Marcus Rashford is given a deserved breather after starting each of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's league matches to date, with Romelu Lukaku taking over the central striking position - also his second start under the caretaker manager, the other coming in the third-round win against Reading. Two of United's other changes come in the backline, as Eric Bailly and Luke Shaw replace Phil Jones and Diogo Dalot.

Shaw pulled out of United's starting lineup shortly before kickoff against Brighton last week, but he has recovered from an illness bug and is deemed fit enough to start down the left today. The fifth and final change is one that we expected - David de Gea did not travel down to London with the rest of his teammates, so his place in the side is taken by Sergio Romero. Lee Grant will provide cover from the bench.

Alexis Sanchez returns to the Emirates Stadium for the first time tonight since his high-profile exit to Manchester United almost exactly a year ago. The Chilean forward has endured a frustrating time at United, handed just his second start since November today in a United side showing five changes from their most recent outing. Arsenal, by comparison, make three alterations.

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PREVIOUS MEETINGS! Arsenal have won their only two previous FA Cup home ties against Manchester United - 5-0 in January 1937 and 2-1 in February 1988. The sides have met in this competition 14 times in all down the years, knocking each other out seven times apiece (including finals) - neither team has been eliminated by another side more often.

United are unbeaten in their last three meetings with Arsenal, having played out a 2-2 draw at Old Trafford last month in one of Jose Mourinho's final matches at the helm, following on from a couple of league wins in 2017-18. It is also worth pointing out that a red card has been shown in five of the past eight FA Cup ties between these historical rivals, suggesting that no love has been lost down the years!

Arsenal picked up a vital 2-0 win over Chelsea in their most recent match - three points that lifts them right back into Champions League contention. Emery admitted in the build-up to the game that his side could not afford to drop any more points, and his players produced an impressive all-round display to ease to the victory in the end. Fourth-placed Chelsea are now just three points better off than both the Gunners and United.

The Gunners' league campaign is still very much alive and well at this point, then, with games against strugglers Cardiff City and Huddersfield to come either side of a trip to Manchester City. Emery will be hopeful of remaining in pursuit of Chelsea, and indeed Tottenham Hotspur in third, as finishing in the top four would likely have been the target set for the Spaniard when he took over from long-serving boss Arsene Wenger last summer.

Winning silverware will also be high on Emery's agenda, and he has a couple of chances to achieve that. The Gunners were dumped out of the EFL Cup by Tottenham just before Christmas, but they are through to the last 32 of the Europa League - a competition that can provide them a direct entry into the Champions League should they win it - and are into round four of the FA Cup. This test against United, however, is pretty much the worst draw for Arsenal based on current form.

Emery did not field a strong starting lineup against Blackpool in the last round, but nor did he have to. A couple of first-half goals from Joe Willock were added to by Iwobi in the second half as Arsenal prevailed 3-0 at Bloomfield Road. This is a far more daunting test, however, explaining why Gunners boss Emery has fielded something very close to his strongest possible XI.

Arsenal have had a full week's rest between games, and they have a nice fixture coming up against Cardiff next week, so Emery was always expected to field a strong side today. The mood around the Emirates Stadium is positive again thanks to last week's vital win over Chelsea, but should they exit the FA Cup today then supporters will no doubt have more questions to ask. This really is a massive game, nearly two-thirds into Emery's first season at the helm.

DID YOU KNOW? Arsenal have a good record against fellow Premier League sides in the FA Cup, winning 12 of their last 13 such encounters. The only defeat they have suffered during that sequence came at the hands of Watford on home soil three years ago - Odion Ighalo and Adlene Guedioura stunning the holders with second-half goals in a 2-1 win here.

The Gunners have gone on to win the FA Cup in the previous three seasons that they have defeated Man United - most recently in the 2014-15 quarter-finals - so drawing the Red Devils could be a good omen. Arsenal have lost just two of their 18 matches on home soil this season, meanwhile, with 13 of those ending in victory. United have won exactly half of their 12 away Premier League matches, but they have won three out of three and conceded just two goals since Solskjaer took over.

Arsenal beat Blackpool 3-0 in the last round to secure a comfortable passage through to round four. The Gunners have made it into the fifth round in seven of the past eight campaigns, the exception being last season's shock loss to second-tier side Nottingham Forest.

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Twelve-time FA Cup winners United have played seven and won seven under Solskjaer, compared to two wins in eight games under former boss Mourinho. The recovery process is very much in full swing, with United now back to within three points of the top four following their 2-1 win over Brighton last weekend. They were not as convincing in that match, but they still had enough in the tank to get themselves over the line.

Six of their seven wins have come in the Premier League, drawing them level on points with Arsenal in fifth place. United face sides sitting 16th, ninth and 19th in their next three top-flight outings, so there is a good chance that they will close the gap even further on Chelsea over the next fortnight. Finishing fourth would be an almighty achievement for Solskjaer - possibly enough to get him the job on a permanent basis.

It is fair to say that the feel-good factor has well and truly returned to Old Trafford, and all that is down to the caretaker manager. Solskjaer has freed his players, filling the likes of Pogba and Rashford with plenty of confidence to play their own game, and the players have responded by putting together this perfect run of results since Mourinho bowed out a week before Christmas.

Included in that winning sequence is a 1-0 victory down the road at Tottenham, so United know what it takes to go to a top-six rival and pick up victory. As well as beating Tottenham, the Red Devils have also overcome Cardiff, Huddersfield, Bournemouth, Newcastle, Tottenham and Brighton in the Premier League under Solskjaer, plus Reading in round three of the FA Cup. Juan Mata scored from the spot to open the scoring against the Royals and Lukaku added a second before the end of the half.

United have scored 19 goals across their seven matches under Solskjaer and have conceded four times - a vast improvement on the results that preceded the Norwegian's arrival. It means that the Red Devils still have something to fight for on three fronts, having also set up a Champions League last-16 clash against French champions Paris Saint-Germain - the first leg of which takes place in less than three weeks' time.

For now United's only focus in on the FA Cup, a competition that Solskjaer won twice as a player, including in the famous treble-winning campaign of 1999. The Red Devils have been knocked out at this stage just once in their last 14 fourth-round ties, that coming against bitter rivals Liverpool in the 2011-12 season. This match provides Solskjaer with another chance to prove that a corner has been turned, and you would not bet against the visitors maintaining their impressive run.

With kickoff at the Emirates Stadium now a little over five minutes away, let us check out some pre-match thoughts from both camps.

Unai Emery: "It's a different team. It's the same players but they're playing with a big performance now. I was watching their last matches and each player has a lot of confidence, with big performances, and now they are very dangerous. For us, it's good because it's a very big test for us in this competition."

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer: "That's the one fierce football rivalry of my years here as a player. We were always the closest rivals. They won the double, we won the treble. The games were just fantastic. We had a great team, and they had a very good team. There were some tackles flying in between the two teams. They were fantastic games."

Emery summed it up pretty well with his pre-match comments, admitting that Arsenal will come up against a "different" United side this evening compared to last month's league clash at Old Trafford. The Red Devils look better in every department now compared to seven weeks ago, but Solskjaer has made a handful of changes today which may come back to haunt him.

Solskjaer clearly remembers his meetings with Arsenal very fondly. The Gunners may no longer by United's biggest rivals, but this fixture does tend to produce some classics. This is undoubtedly the standout tie of the fourth round, bringing together the competition's two most successful sides. The teams are out on the field and kickoff is just moments away...

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KICKOFF:  Former Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez gets us up and running at the Emirates Stadium. There is nothing to separate the sides in the Premier League, but something has to give in this fourth-round tie - even if it means playing 210 minutes of football.

Maitland-Niles, not a full-back by trade, concedes an early corner. Shaw whips it into the middle but it is an Arsenal head that gets to it first. Arsenal break forward but Kolasinac's pass is cut out by Young before it can reach Aubameyang.

Lukaku appears to be playing more as a right-sided forward, with Lingard through the middle - similar to the tactics deployed against Tottenham, albeit with the more mobile Rashford featuring that afternoon.

Iwobi pulls the ball back for Lacazette, but the Frenchman's first touch lets him down - the ball bobbles off his shin and goes out for a goal kick. Arsenal are the side on top in the early stages, not afraid to get at their opponents.

Kolasinac gets another low cross in from the left, which Lindelof gets to ahead of Aubameyang. The Gunners are looking much more comfortable in possession than their opponents. Sanchez gets a rare touch of the ball, greeted by thousands of jeers.

As of the 10th minute of the match, Matic has still yet to have a single touch of the ball - incredible! United have been far too passive, in comparison to Arsenal who have tried to get the ball forward. Still awaiting the first shot on target, though.

Maitland-Niles gives away possession and five seconds or so later Lukaku is nearly played through. Cech read the danger well and closed the angle to prevent the Belgian from either getting a shot away or cutting the ball back for a teammate.

We are still awaiting the first real shot of the contest, with 15 minutes now on the clock. Arsenal started the better but there has been no flow to their game over the past five or six minutes. Hopefully it sparks into life soon!

Ramsey is making some good runs off the ball, which United are struggling to pick up. Emery will be the happier of the two managers, even if his side have yet to really create any chances of note. Maitland-Niles gets forward down the right but the move comes to little.

Sokratis attempts to win the ball in an aerial challenge with Lingard but falls awkwardly on his ankle. The physio has been on the pitch for a couple of minutes now - the experienced centre-back does not look as though he will be able to continue.

Sokratis limps back onto the field. Mustafi is warming up but has not yet been given the call to strip out of his training gear. Twenty-one minutes played in North London and United have yet to register a shot of any note.

ARSENAL SUB! A big blow for Arsenal as Sokratis, who has been a consistent presence at the back, limps off the field for a second time. The centre-back will not be returning this time, though, as Mustafi is on in his place.

Arsenal's formation remains the same, incidentally, with Mustafi slotting in alongside Koscielny in a back four. Lukaku gets on the end of Young's pass from deep, but he strayed offside and the linesman quickly raised his flag.

SAVE!  We finally have a shot of note at the Emirates Stadium! Lacazette touches Ramsey's pass into the path of Iwobi, who shoots straight at Romero at his near post, rather than attempting to square it to Aubameyang. Up the other end, Lukaku cannot quite get a boot to Lingard's teasing cross.

Some more good link-up play from Arsenal's attacking players, culminating in Ramsey very nearly returning the ball to Lacazette inside the box, only for Romero to get to it first. United have not got going at all this evening.

The match has become end-to-end all of a sudden, but attacks from both sides come to fairly disappointing conclusion. Iwobi did at least win a corner from Arsenal's breakaway attack, but the referee blew for an infringement when Kolasinac struck the ball goalwards.

GOAL!  ARSENAL 0-1 MANCHESTER UNITED (ALEXIS SANCHEZ)

It just had to be him! Booed every time he has touched the ball tonight, Alexis gets his revenge by opening the scoring against his former club. It was a well-worked goal, with Lukaku disguising his through-ball - everyone thought he was going to shoot from the edge of the box - and Alexis rounded Cech before picking out the far side of the net from a tight angle.

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GOAL!  ARSENAL 0-2 MANCHESTER UNITED (JESSE LINGARD)

Having been stuck in first gear for the opening half an hour of the match, United all of a sudden have a second goal! Arsenal are caught out by the counter, with Lukaku being played in acres of space down the right and squaring it for Lingard, who controls the ball and then tucks it out of Cech's reach.

That's two assists for Lukaku - the first of which was sublime. United have had two attacks and scored two goals - talk about clinical! Arsenal need to regroup and find a way back into the match - they were the better side for 30 minutes.

Bailly has his arms on Lacazette but there was not enough contact to warrant a penalty, or indeed a VAR review. Lingard gets another shot away but this latest one is off target. Incredible how the flow of this match has changed so quickly.

Ramsey decides to get a shot away from 20 yards, but his shot hits a United player and goes behind for a corner. The home fans are getting frustrated now as Lacazette's flick towards the penalty spot goes straight to an opponent.

STAT! This match is the first time that Lukaku has assisted twice in a game in all competitions since November 2015 for Everton vs. Sunderland. The two goals came within the space of 149 seconds.

GOAL!  ARSENAL 1-2 MANCHESTER UNITED (PIERRE-EMERICK AUBAMEYANG)

Arsenal cut their opponents open for the first time today and all of a sudden it is game on again! Ramsey latches onto Iwobi's pass on the overlap, holds off Matic and plays the ball across goal for Aubameyang to tap in at the back post.

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Three minutes have been added on, two of which we have already played. The mood has changed around the ground once more thanks to that goal from Aubameyang, which was brilliantly assisted by Ramsey. It is turning out to be another good cup tie between these heavyweight clubs.

SAVE!  Ramsey is again involved in this latest Arsenal attack, feeding the ball to Maitland-Niles who in turn spots Lacazette. The Frenchman's first-time shot is easy for Romero to deal with. Arsenal come forward again, winning a corner through Maitland-Niles's cross.

HALF TIME:  ARSENAL 1-2 MANCHESTER UNITED

Arsenal end the first half on top as Mustafi heads behind, shortly after Koscielny was denied a simple finish in front of goal by a decent block. It is all to play for in the second half thanks to Aubameyang's strike, giving the Gunners real hope after Alexis and Lingard put the visitors two goals in front.

It took until just before the half-hour mark for the game's first shot to arrive, with Alex Iwobi succeeding only in picking out Sergio Romero at his front post following some nice build-up play between Aaron Ramsey and Alexandre Lacazette. The Gunners had been the side on top up until that point, but United soon sparked into life and they scored twice in quick succession to change the mood completely around the Emirates Stadium.

Jeered every time that he touched the ball in the first 31 minutes, Alexis Sanchez got his revenge by rounding Petr Cech and converting into an empty net from a tight angle to open the scoring. Romelu Lukaku claimed the assist after playing a disguised through-ball for Alexis, and the Belgian also played a direct part in the Red Devils' second a couple of minutes later.

United hit their opponents on the counter and Lukaku had acres of space to run into down the right, before looking up and picking out Jesse Lingard, who controlled the ball and then tucked it out of Cech's reach. The Gunners have progressed in seven of their last eight fourth-round ties, though, and they were right back in this contest when carving United open for the first time shortly before half time. Ramsey latched onto Iwobi's pass on the overlap, held off Nemanja Matic and played the ball across goal for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to tap in at the back post.

BENCH WATCH!

ARSENAL SUBS: Leno, Monreal, Lichtsteiner, Elneny, Guendouzi, Ozil

MANCHESTER UNITED SUBS: Grant, Dalot, Jones, Fred, Mata, Martial, Rashford

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KICKOFF:  Arsenal, who have not come from behind at half time to beat Man Utd since November 2001, get us back underway at the Emirates Stadium. A big 45 minutes ahead for both of these sides!

SAVE!  Romero produces a stunning save to tip Ramsey's header over the crossbar early in the second half. Great reactions from United's back-up keeper - Ramsey looked certain to score from five yards out.

Arsenal have picked up from where they left off in the first half. It is a constant bombardment on the United goal, with Iwobi getting in a shot that is blocked on the edge of the box. Solskjaer's men are holding on here.

Solskjaer may well have to turn to his bench before the hour mark because his side have no real control of this game. United had a three-minute period on top, scoring twice in that time, but other than that Arsenal have been the better team.

Arsenal continue to probe away in search of an equaliser. United are also enjoying the odd spell on the ball, but they are not really managing to hurt their opponents. This is a gripping cup tie that is still very much in the balance.

YELLOW CARD!  Ramsey shimmies his way past a couple of United players in the box but he cannot get the ball out of his feet. United counter and Pogba's run is halted by Koscielny 25 yards from goal, earning the game's first yellow card in the process.

Lukaku, who has had a good game on the whole, sends the free kick well over the crossbar. Poor effort!

Koscielny is on the floor and Lukaku accidentally catches his opponent's face with his studs. The Frenchman has a gash behind his ear and is in need of some treatment, which could last for a few minutes.

Ozil has been waiting to come on for about five minutes now. Koscielny is still receiving some treatment to his face, which was cut quite badly by Lukaku's boot. Will Emery hold off from bringing on the German if Koscielny cannot play on?

Still waiting to see if Koscielny will be able to continue - what a blow if would be if he had to make way, which looks like it will be the case. The Frenchman is in some serious discomfort, seemingly unable to fully open his mouth.

ARSENAL SUB! Koscielny hobbles off the field and straight down the tunnel for some further treatment, with Cech being handed the captaincy. After a minute of deliberation, Guendouzi comes on for Koscielny. Ozil is also - finally - on for Iwobi.

That was an eight-minute stoppage for Koscielny to receive treatment, all of which will be added on at the end. All three changes have been made by Emery, whereas opposite number Solskjaer can still use all three of his - that could come in handy the longer this one goes on.

United have not had a shot on target since they scored their second goal. Arsenal are looking a lot more likely to score, with Ramsey's blasting wide of target from 20 yards. The Gunners still have around 30 minutes to find a leveller.

YELLOW CARD!  Young becomes the second United player to be shown a yellow, penalised for handling the ball outside the box. From the free kick, Torreira picks out Aubameyang at the back post, but the striker's cutback is cleared to safety.

There has not been a great deal of action in this second half, obviously not helped by the long stoppage when Koscielny was down. The best chance fell to Ramsey a minute or so after the restart, with the Welshman denied by United keeper Romero.

MANCHESTER UNITED SUBS! Opening goalscorer Alexis is booed - surprise surprise - as he is replaced by Martial on the left-hand side of United's attack. Rashford also takes over from Lukaku through the middle.

SAVE!  Lacazette is picked out by Kolasinac, runs into a yard of space and strikes the ball well. Romero is equal to it at his near post, however, producing his second important save of the second half. Arsenal are not giving up hope of scoring an equaliser.

YELLOW CARD!  Aubameyang leaves the ball for some reason and Matic clears it to safety. United, focusing more and more on counter-attacks, themselves create a promising situation but there is no end product. Lingard is booked for his reaction after giving away a free kick.

Arsenal's pressure is building but, rather frustratingly, they are struggling to create many openings. We are now into the final 10 minutes of normal time, but a good 10 minutes will be added on at the end. Rashford is thwarted by Cech but the offside flag was already up.

Lacazette wins back possession for Arsenal seconds after they lost the ball. The Frenchman gets a shot in from the edge of the box but Shaw produces a big block to stop the ball before it could trouble Romero. Bodies on the line time!

GOAL!  ARSENAL 1-3 MANCHESTER UNITED (ANTHONY MARTIAL)

United have been desperate to get Martial and Rashford in behind on the counter, and Solskjaer's tactic to bring on the duo pays off. Pogba carries the ball forward and gets a shot away, which Cech can only parry into the path of Martial for a simple finish.

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Lingard has done something to win up Arsenal's players. Out of nothing, a group of about 10 players come together near the corner flag. The crowd are also getting involved as things boil over.

YELLOW CARD!  Kolasinac moved his head towards Rashford's and Lingard raced across to defend his teammate. The referee shows a yellow card to both players involved and takes the matter no further following a brief VAR check/

MANCHESTER UNITED SUB! Lingard acted angrily to the crowd in all that because an object was thrown at him. I'm sure we have not heard the last of that! The Englishman has been replaced by Phil Jones - a smart change from Solskjaer.

An additional 10 minutes will be played at the Emirates Stadium. The match is not over quite yet, but Arsenal have not really created much of anything for a while and they do not look as though they have two goals in them.

YELLOW CARD!  Guendouzi catches Pogba a little late and is cautioned by the referee. It is the away fans who are making all the noise in the closing stages of the match. United can surely now start looking forward to a last-16 tie next month.

This prolonged period of stoppage time is awfully scrappy. Arsenal are struggling to get a hold of the ball, with just five minutes to go now. This is easily the most comfortable United have been all evening.

Young decides to try his luck from distance, but the ball ends well over Cech's crossbar. There is another match taking place in the FA Cup this evening, incidentally - Bristol City have beaten Bolton Wanderers 2-1 to become the first side through to round five.

Nine minutes of stoppage time has been played and, in truth, nothing has happened yet. United took the sting out of the match with their third goal of the evening and are now running down the clock.

FULL TIME:  ARSENAL 1-3 MANCHESTER UNITED

After more than 10 minutes of stoppage time, the match finally comes to an end. Manchester United required Romero to produce a couple of saves in the second half to keep their lead intact, denying Ramsey with a superb stop seconds after the restart, and Martial then made certain of the victory with his breakaway goal in the final 10 minutes. That makes it eight wins from eight under Solskjaer, who now has an FA Cup last-16 clash to look forward to.

That concludes Sports Mole's live text coverage of events from the Emirates Stadium. An on-the-whistle report can be found by clicking here, and be sure to join us again tomorrow for updates from Manchester City's meeting with Burnley. See you then!