He was banned and fined £20k after Arsenal vs Man United but Arsene Wenger still backed him

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There were plenty of fiery moments on and off the pitch when the rivalry between Arsenal and Manchester United was at its height. 

For the better part of a decade, from the late 1990s to early 2000s, Arsenal and Manchester United dominated English football and went head-to-head for major honours.

Both clubs enjoyed a golden era in this time. Then-Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger won all three of his Premier League titles in this period. The Frenchman’s crowning achievement came in the 2003/04 season, as his side went through the entire Premier League campaign unbeaten, earning themselves the Invincibles nickname.

Former centre-back Martin Keown was part of the Invincibles squad, and was at the heart of an infamous fracas during a fixture against the Red Devils.

• READ MORE: Who are The Invincibles? Meet the Arsenal record-breakers who became Premier League legends

Martin Keown’s infamous clash with Manchester United icon Ruud van Nistelrooy

The Gunners almost lost their unbeaten record at Old Trafford in September 2003, as the hosts were awarded a last minute penalty. Ruud van Nistelrooy stepped up to take the spot kick, but fired his effort into the crossbar. The Gunners were able to return to North London still undefeated.

As the Dutchman’s strike missed the mark, Keown was keen to humiliate van Nistelrooy further. The defender jumped and screamed in the forward’s face. 

A mob of Arsenal players soon joined Keown in this haranguing, which quickly became an unruly mass of players from both sides.

This was not the only time trouble erupted during a meeting between these two teams. One year later, Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas threw pizza at Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson in the tunnel, after United finally ended the Gunners’ Premier League unbeaten run.

How Arsene Wenger responded to Arsenal controversy

Keown’s treatment of van Nistelrooy garnered plenty of attention, and has lived long in the memory of fans.

In Martin Keown: On The Edge, the autobiography, the former England international has now revealed what the fallout of the incident entailed, and how Wenger managed the situation.

He said: “None of us realized it was that big a deal until the pictures were plastered across every television and every newspaper back page the next morning. By then I was public enemy number one, the lunatic who couldn’t control himself and needed to be banned for as long as possible.

“Luckily, the club and the gaffer did not feel the same. What was brilliant about Wenger was that he waited. He didn’t say anything to me about it straight away.

“We spoke briefly about it after training. He didn’t say much. I did all the talking. I told him that I thought I’d gone too far, and possibly my actions had led to everybody else reacting to a senior player. He said maybe that was it, but he vowed to support and protect me, and he started me against Newcastle in the next game.

“The FA handed out a record £175,000 fine to us for failing to control our players… My part in that was three games [banned] and £20,000… Vice Chairman David Dein joked that the club should get me to take all the rap, bans and fines. Luckily that never happened.

“I’ve been asked many times over the years if I regret what happened. No, I do not.”