Cristiano Ronaldo: Man Utd star's performance v Arsenal in 2005 at age 19 is so iconic | OneFootball

On Thursday evening, Cristiano Ronaldo will take on Arsenal in a competitive setting for the first time in over 12 years.

The last time the Manchester United superstar came face-to-face with the north London outfit was in April 2009, when he scored a brace at the Emirates to secure a spot in the Champions League final.

That memorable performance was not the first time Ronaldo netted a double against Arsene Wenger's side either.

Back in 2005, the Portugal international well and truly announced himself on the Premier League stage with a match-turning brace at Highbury.

It's a game pretty much every fan of English football knows very well, mainly due to the clash between Patrick Vieira and Roy Keane in the tunnel before kick-off.

United ran out 4-2 winners on the day and Ronaldo was involved in nearly everything positive from Sir Alex Ferguson's side in attack.

He even had the bottle to square up to Thierry Henry early in the match, which resulted in the home crowd booing him for the remainder of proceedings.

So what did Ronaldo do in response when he beat Jens Lehmann twice in four second half minutes? He shushed them, elevating his status as a Premier League pantomime villain.

Revisit one of the five-time Ballon d'Or winner's most iconic showings on English soil below.

Video: Ronaldo destroying prime Arsenal in 2005

It's incredible to think that over 16 years after that display in the heart of north London, Ronaldo is still starting and scoring goals for United.

The 36-year-old's brace at Highbury put the Red Devils 3-2 up on the day and John O'Shea's late goal then secured a famous win for Ferguson against his arch nemesis.

Interestingly, Ronaldo only scored two more Premier League goals against Arsenal after his 2005 heroics, with both coming in the 2007/08 season.

He'll be eager to improve that record on Thursday, particularly after being demoted to the bench by Michael Carrick for the trip to Chelsea last Sunday.

Arsenal fans, beware, because Ronaldo with a point to prove is a terrifying prospect for the opposition...

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