As the captain, I wanted to put him under a little bit of pressure." "At that time, I was getting frustrated at the number of fouls on our players. It was challenging, very difficult, and Gary here, one of his strengths was intimidating players. "Before that? There was a rivalry between the two clubs and as an Arsenal player, you wanted to play against the best and at that time it was United. "What started all this? Roy losing his temper!" Vieira joked while working alongside Keane as a pundit on Euro 2020. The Arsenal man too can look back on their rivalry with an element of fondness, despite the tension at the time. I always think these things look worse than what they really are. The most important thing that night was to win the game, which we did. “The key for me after that is don't be distracted by it. “I was never one for argy-bargy or slagging people off in the tunnel, but Patrick had threatened Gary in the tunnel and I felt he crossed the line,' Keane said back in 2019. 'Pizzagate' lit the touch paper for the Highbury return clash, where Ferguson's side would complete the double over their rivals, winning 4-2.Īs the players lined up in the tunnel before the match, Keane was seen visibly furious with the Frenchman, as he shouted and pointed at Vieira, with the infamous battle cry: "We'll see you out there". Keane tries to stop Vieira from confronting Van Nistelrooy (Image: 2003 AFP via Getty Images)ĭuring the 2004/05 season, United would beat Arsenal 2-0 at Old Trafford, preventing them from reaching the milestone of 50 league games unbeaten. This appeared to be the start of a mutual respect between the pair, but in hindsight, was simply the calm before the storm. In fact, after Vieira saw red during a 0-0 draw at Old Trafford in 2003, Keane of all people was the one who intervened to calm the Arsenal man down, as he sought out Ruud van Nistelrooy in the heat of the moment. During this time, the clashes between Vieira and Keane were always full-throttle, but never got beyond boiling point. In the following seasons, United and Arsenal would go on to seemingly share the Premier League with one another, as Wenger's side lifted the trophy in 2001/02, before United regained it in 2002/03 ahead of the North London side's invincible 2003/04 season. During the match, Vieira barged into the Reds midfielder, leading to the pair squaring up to one another once again, quite literally coming head-to-head on the pitch. In August 1999, United came from behind to beat Arsenal 2-1 at Highbury, with Keane scoring both goals for Ferguson's side. Keane would see red for two cautions that match, but Vieira's poor pass to the Welsh winger proved to be the telling mistake during the tie. He is one of the best midfield players I have come across and possibly the hardest I have played against.”Ī goalless draw would lead to a replay at Villa Park, with Ryan Giggs scoring one of the most iconic solo goals the competition has ever seen to help United edge the contest 2-1. But always, after the game, he will come and shake my hand. "Like me, he wants to win and we have had some good battles. He is a great competitor," the Arsenal man said. Keane and Vieira were far from strangers on the pitchĪn FA Cup semi-final awaited United and Arsenal just months later, as Vieira, despite their on-field tussles, admitted how much respect he has for Keane. Andy Cole would eventually find an equaliser to see the two sides share the points. The following meeting at Old Trafford later in the season saw the pair nearly come to blows, receiving a yellow card each as they attempted to trade punches. United's former captain left the Arsenal man in no uncertain terms as to what he thought of the incident, coming within millimetres of the now-Crystal Palace manager as they squared up against one another. Vieira was the Man of the Match in a 3-0 win for the Gunners, but tempers nearly boiled over during the game as the Frenchman suggested Keane should be given a yellow card for a clash with Marc Overmars.
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