In a recent reunion, Patrick Vieira, Gary Neville, and Roy Keane reminisced about the famous 2005 tunnel clash at Highbury before Arsenal’s Premier League showdown with Manchester United.
Neville, recounting the incident, explained how Vieira confronted him during the warm-up, stating that he wouldn’t let Neville or his teammates “kick our f*cking players” that day. Vieira admitted that he had planned this, driven by his dislike for Neville, who he felt had a history of overly aggressive play, especially against Arsenal’s Robert Pires.
Vieira (left) and Keane (right) had a heated exchange, fueled by Vieira’s earlier confrontation with Neville.
Vieira shared that he wanted to make it clear to Neville that he wouldn’t tolerate any harsh treatment of his teammates, especially Pires, during that particular match. He attributed this sentiment to what he perceived as United’s control over referees and the leeway it afforded them.
Neville, after the confrontation, returned to the dressing room and shared the details with his teammates, which agitated Keane. Keane then confronted Vieira in the tunnel, pointing his finger and letting him know that if he had an issue with one United player, he had an issue with all of them.
Keane and Vieira’s confrontation set the tone for a highly-charged match that ended 4-2 in United’s favor.
The tunnel clash set the tone for a fiery match that saw six goals and a red card. Despite Vieira scoring an early goal for Arsenal, United ultimately won 4-2, dealing a blow to Arsenal’s title defense hopes. Chelsea went on to win the league that season, with Arsenal finishing second, six points ahead of third-place United.
The reunion and discussion provided fascinating insights into the intense rivalry and emotions that fueled these iconic Premier League clashes between Arsenal and Manchester United.
Gary Neville, Patrick Vieira, and Roy Keane shared this story on The Overlap, brought to you by Sky Bet.