‘I was involved in Arsenal vs Man Utd tunnel bust up – I think I started it'

12 May 2024 , 06:00

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Roy Keane [R] and Patrick Vieira [not pictured] clashed in the Arsenal tunnel in February 2005 (Image: Sky Sports Retro/Youtube)

Arsenal legend Robert Pires claims he sparked an infamous tunnel bust-up against Manchester United.

Captains Roy Keane and Patrick Vieira butted heads in the tunnel before a high-stakes showdown at Highbury in February 2005.

Having clashed several times in the past, Keane and Vieira on that occasion were seen shouting at each other down the narrow tunnel before going out onto the Highbury pitch for the Premier League meeting.

Footage showed Vieira walking down towards the tunnel entrance as the Frenchman’s team-mates Dennis Bergkamp and Pascal Cygan tried to calm him down. Keane then emerged shouting: “I’ll see you out there.”

But the famed story has taken another turn as Pires, who started for Arsenal, admitted he likely caused tensions to boil over on that occasion. “Things started to get heated and I think it was because of me actually,” the French winger told The Times.

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“ Gary Neville arrived and barged into me. I reacted in French because I was annoyed. It starts kicking off and at that point, Pat arrives. He said to him, ‘You speak too much, you. Shut up.’

Vieira [R] had defended his team-mate against Gary Neville (PA)

Robert Pires of Arsenal [L] sparked the bust-up (Manchester United via Getty Images)

“At that moment, Keane arrives. And he goes, ‘You talk too much as well. I’ll see you on the pitch.’ It was dicey between the two of them, tense. That for me was one of the best moments.”

Vieira scored the opener for Arsenal just eight minutes in before an Ashley Cole own goal drew the visitors level. Bergkamp netted again for the Gunners just before half-time, but a Cristiano Ronaldo second-half double and John O’Shea’s late goal sealed a huge 4-2 win for the Red Devils.

Roy Keane and Patrick Vieira went on to tussle on the pitch (Manchester United via Getty Images)

United and Arsenal, led by Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger, were English football’s two powerhouses at the time. That meant tempers often flared when the two met.

Just months prior to the Keane and Vieira tunnel incident was the notorious ‘Battle of the Buffet’, where a mystery Arsenal player threw a slice of pizza at Sir Alex.

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Kasra Moradi