 Nyorai kupfuurira kweiyi ndima - Dave Sexton akatsiva Docherty somutarisiri muzhizha ra1977. Pasinei nekusaina kukuru, kusanganisira Joe Jordan, Gordon McQueen, Gary Bailey, naRay Wilkins, timu yakatadza kuhwina chero mikombe; vakapedza wechipiri muna 1979-1980 uye vakarasikirwa neArsenal mu1979 FA Cup Final. Sexton akadzingwa basa muna 1981, kunyange zvazvo chikwata chacho chakanga chahwina mitambo minomwe yokupedzisira pasi pokutungamirira kwake. Akatsiviwa naRon Atkinson, uyo akabva angoputsa rekodhi yeBritish yekuchinjisa mari yekusaina Bryan Robson kubva kukirabhu yake yekare West Bromwich Albion. Pasi paAtkinson, Manchester United yakakunda FA Cup muna 1983 na 1985uye vakakunda vavengi vavo Liverpool kukunda Charity Shield ya1983. Muna 1985-86, mushure mekukunda gumi nematatu uye maviri akaenzana mumitambo yayo yekutanga gumi neshanu, kirabhu yaive inodiwa kuhwina mukombe asi yakapedza iri pachinzvimbo chechina. Mwaka wakatevera, nekirabhu iri munjodzi yekudzikiswa munaNovember, Atkinson akadzingwa. 