Patrice Evra group stage matches as Monaco finished in first place. For his performances in the first half of the 2003–04 season, Evra was linked with a 2004 winter move to English club Arsenal, Italian clubs Juventus and Milan, and Spanish club Barcelona. After appearing consistently with the team, on 24 March 2004, Evra suffered an ankle injury in the club's 4–2 first leg defeat to Spanish club Real Madrid in the quarter-finals of the Champions League. Evra subsequently missed two weeks in the league, but was healthy enough to return for the team's second leg quarter-final tie against Madrid, which Monaco
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