When Arsène Wenger and Alex Ferguson fought bitterly to be top dog | Rob Smyth

The Battle of Old Trafford, Pizzagate and that FA Cup replay are recalled in a riveting documentary about the feud between Arsenal’s and Manchester United’s managers

The Premier League is the richest league in the world but money cannot buy hate. English football is crying out for an immense, sprawling rivalry between two great teams. There have been some interesting conflicts in recent times but nothing close to the epic nine-year war between Arsenal and Manchester United from 1996 to 2005.

It’s the rift that keeps on giving. Five years after ITV’s memorable Keane & Vieira: Best of Enemies, Channel 5 is to broadcast a documentary on the broader rivalry between the sides, and especially the managers. Fergie v Wenger: The Feud (Monday 10pm) is an exhilarating hour of time travel that includes interviews with more than a dozen players, coaches and journalists – and a series of clips that instantly evoke the nuclear intensity of the time.

Related: Arsenal v Manchester United in the Wenger-Ferguson years

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