Patrice Evra and contributed to the club that won the Coupe de la Ligue in 2003. He also featured in European competition for the first time in his career and, in the 2003–04 season, was the starting left-back on the Monaco team that reached the 2004 UEFA Champions League Final. In that same season domestically, Evra was named the National Union of Professional Footballers (UNFP) Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year. He was also named to the organisation's Ligue 1 Team of the Year. Evra's performances with Monaco culminated into a move to English club Manchester United in January 2006. While
Arsenal F.C.–Manchester United F.C. rivalry with younger talent. The 2005 Cup win was their last piece of silverware until 2014. Though the rivalry cooled, the two clubs were still involved in engrossing battles; "The Guardian"'s Jamie Jackson wrote after a November 2007 fixture: "For once here was enough spectacle to meet the pre-match hype and convince the millions watching around the world that the Premier League may just have the best footballers who can play the very best stuff." In 2009, the teams met in the semi-finals of the 2008–09 UEFA Champions League, which United won 4–1 on aggregate. United defender Patrice Evra was blunt