Football catch
The “ Battle of the Buffet “, besides known as “ Pizzagate “, is a mention used by the british weigh to refer to a Premier League equal played between Manchester United and Arsenal at Old Trafford, Manchester, on 24 October 2004. Arsenal dictated much of the early play and created respective openings, but as the game progressed Manchester United threatened. The home plate team were awarded a penalty in the 73rd hour, when Wayne Rooney was deemed to have been fouled by Sol Campbell. Ruud vanguard Nistelrooy converted the penalty kick ; Rooney besides scored deep in the game, making the score 2–0. The result ended Arsenal ‘s record-breaking 49-match unbeaten run. many arsenal fans were disgruntled, for they believed Rooney had dived and the penalty should not have been given.
Reading: Battle of the Buffet – Wikipedia
In the burrow after the pit, tempers boiled over between staff of both clubs, and amid the brawl, a slice of pizza was thrown at Manchester United director Sir Alex Ferguson, allegedly by Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fàbregas. Arsenal director Arsène Wenger was ferocious in his post-match briefing, criticising reviewer Mike Riley for his operation and describing Van Nistelrooy as a chess. His comments were investigated by The Football Association, who later fined him £ 15,000 for improper conduct. Van Nistelrooy was retroactively banned for three matches, for a challenge on Ashley Cole that was missed by Riley. The resultant role was pivotal in the league season and in the competition between the two clubs. Arsenal ‘s shape suffered as a result ; having entered the match as league leaders, they found themselves five points behind Chelsea in December. Manchester United struggled for consistency and finished behind Arsenal in third. Both clubs late met each other in the League Cup quarter-finals and FA Cup Final. Ferguson, following his retirement in 2013, said that he considered the “ Battle of the Buffet ” to be a watershed here and now for Wenger, as it disoriented his management and put a sift on their relationship .
background [edit ]
The appointment of Arsène Wenger as coach of Arsenal in 1996 bring about a successful menstruation for the club. In Wenger ‘s first full season, 1997–98, Arsenal won the Premier League and FA Cup to complete a domestic double. [ 3 ] Though the club failed to win another trophy in the future three seasons, they vied for domestic honours with Sir Alex Ferguson ‘s Manchester United. Arsenal won their second duplicate in 2001–02, before Manchester United regained the league the following temper. [ 4 ] In 2003–04, Arsenal won the league without a unmarried get the better of – a record of 26 wins and 12 draws. [ 5 ] Meetings between Arsenal and Manchester United were considered the pinnacle of English football during the 2000s ; journalist Paul Wilson wrote in his preview of the October 2004 match : “ Their competition is not just about winning trophies, it is an adornment to the wide-eyed game. ” [ 6 ] The matches were besides popular amongst british viewers – a league game between the two in April 2003 was watched by 3.4 million viewers in Britain, making it the top-rated plan on multi-channel television for that workweek. [ 7 ] Sky Sports football summariser Andy Gray said of the encounters : “ In some ways it ‘s possibly not surprise that our major clashes have been with United and Arsenal. They ‘ve been the Premiership ‘s two dominant clubs and indeed the atmospheric pressure is greatest on them. ” [ 8 ] The equivalent regular a year earlier was a scoreless drawing card, celebrated for Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy missing a last-minute penalty. A confrontation involving the striker and respective Arsenal players, in particular Martin Keown, immediately occurred. [ 9 ] The ill feel was in the first place sparked by an incident between Van Nistelrooy and Patrick Vieira. Having been fouled by Van Nistelrooy, Vieira aimed a complain in retaliation ; although the kick did not make contact, he was silent sent off for a second gear bookable crime. [ 9 ] Van Nistelrooy was accused by both Vieira and Wenger of feigning contact to get his opponent sent off, while Ferguson defended his player and denied he had dived. [ 10 ] In the wake of the match, four Arsenal players received bans after the incident and were given fines totalling £ 275,000 by the Football Association ( FA ). [ 11 ] Two Manchester United players were besides fined for improper demeanor, with a third warned about his future demeanor. [ 11 ] The 2003 meet was in the first place labelled the “ Battle of Old Trafford ” by the british urge. [ 12 ]
Arsenal entered the match as league leaders, two points in front of second-placed Chelsea. Their previous league field day was a 3–1 gain against Aston Villa on 16 October 2004. [ 13 ] The victory extended Arsenal ‘s unbeaten league run to 49 matches, which set a new English football read. On the like day, Manchester United played out a 0–0 draw against Birmingham City. [ 14 ] United sat in sixth position, 11 points behind their opponents. [ 15 ] Their inconsistency was documented by several newspapers in the build-up to the match ; David Lacey wrote in The Guardian of 23 October 2004 : “ Manchester United, it is said, are in a period of conversion but if by Christmas they have not begun to pick up, their critics will begin to wonder at what precise point does transition become refuse. ” [ 16 ]
The meaning of the fixture for the two clubs was increased by the fact that, had Arsenal avoided frustration, they would have extended their unbeaten league play to 50 matches. Wenger told reporters at his press conference that he felt no increased pressure, though added the team ‘s wednesday draw in the UEFA Champions League at Panathinaikos increased anticipation. [ 17 ] He admitted his team ‘s demeanor in the fastness last season was impossible, but pointed out “ … the best response we gave was to win the honest play postpone. That meant we took province for what we did and we have improved our attitude. ” [ 18 ] Wenger believed United ‘s force put in creativity, and did not want to set his team out to nullify, rather to “ … play our game based on speed and proficiency. ” [ 19 ] In the lead-up to the equal, Ferguson criticised Arsenal ‘s former behavior at Old Trafford and likened their behavior to that of a throng : “ What Arsenal players did that day was the worst thing I ‘ve seen in this sport. No wonder they were sol delighted at the verdicts. ” [ 20 ] He described the crippled as must win given Arsenal ‘s points advantage, but highlighted it was still all to play for given the league leaders needed to play respective circus tent teams twice. [ 15 ] Although Ferguson praised Arsenal ‘s unbeaten run, he disputed whether this heralded a shift of power in English football : “ [ We ] are still the team every golf club wants to beat most of all – careless of who is champions or unbeaten records. In that obedience, our visibility as the major club in the state is unassailable. That is obvious and will never change. ” [ 21 ] Mike Riley was selected as the referee for the catch ; the Yorkshire-based official and England ‘s representative referee at Euro 2004 had sent off five players in his last six games. [ 22 ] Such was the concern another brawl would take target, Greater Manchester Police officers spoke to Riley to underline the need for players to behave themselves. [ 23 ] The most recent meet between the two teams was in the FA Community Shield on 8 August 2004, when Arsenal won 3–1. [ 24 ] Manchester United beat Arsenal en road to winning the FA Cup the previous season and were undefeated against their league opponents in about two years. [ 25 ]
equal [edit ]
team survival [edit ]
manchester United were predicted to tune up in a 4–4–1–1 formation, with Wayne Rooney positioned just behind Van Nistelrooy. Club captain Roy Keane was doubtful as he was recuperating from a virus which prevented him from training all workweek. [ 26 ] Quinton Fortune and Ole Gunnar Solskjær were both ruled out with knee injuries. [ 26 ] Arsenal were expected to line up slenderly unlike to Manchester United, with Thierry Henry and José Antonio Reyes as the two centre-forwards in a traditional 4–4–2 constitution. [ 26 ] Vieira was expected to return to the starting xi ; earlier in the workweek Wenger rated his chances of play as “ 80 per cent ” after he sprained his ankle against Aston Villa. [ 27 ] Gilberto Silva, Jérémie Aliadière, Gaël Clichy and Manuel Almunia were all ruled out by injury for Arsenal. [ 26 ] When the teamsheets were released, Wenger ‘s selection showed Dennis Bergkamp as the prefer fall upon collaborator to Henry ; Reyes was positioned on the leave wing which meant Robert Pires started the match on the substitutes ‘ bench. For Manchester United, there was no set for Keane in the squad, so Ferguson brought in Phil Neville to partner Paul Scholes in cardinal midfield. [ 28 ]
summary [edit ]
Wayne Rooney won the penalty kick for Manchester United’s first goal, and scored the second. The match began as a scrappy affair, with batch of challenges and little expansive football on show. The game ‘s first base celebrated luck went to Rooney, but Kolo Touré intervened and blocked his effort. Rooney then played in Giggs, whose fritter was closed down by Sol Campbell. It took a while before Arsenal gained composure and played their usual ephemeral game, and a move involving Edu and Freddie Ljungberg in the 19th moment resulted in Rio Ferdinand incautiously tackling the latter. [ 29 ] Ferdinand was not shown a card for his challenge – the beginning controversial decision referee Riley made during the match, which surprised Arsenal as the defender made a professional foul to prevent Ljungberg running clear on goal. [ 30 ] Bergkamp exchanged passes with Reyes to open up the United defensive structure, but the Dutchman ‘s shoot was saved by Roy Carroll. [ 29 ] The United goalkeeper was on hired hand to save Henry ‘s low shooting three minutes before the open frame, after the hitter was put through by Edu. [ 29 ] During the first base half natural process, both Neville brothers ( Gary and Phil ) were booked for fouling Reyes. [ 31 ] Ashley Cole besides received a chicken card for his rigging on Rooney. The Arsenal defender was on the receiving end of a challenge by Van Nistelrooy minutes after, as he attempted to shield the ball and hold on to possession. [ 30 ] Television replays showed Van Nistelrooy ran his studs down Cole ‘s shins, but the hitter was not punished by Riley despite the action being in broad watch of his assistant at the touchline. [ 30 ] Arsenal continued to dominate possession once the second half got afoot, but struggled to use it to their advantage. [ 32 ] Lauren ‘s cross from the right was cleared away by the United defense and Henry moments belated miscued his attempt aimed at goal. [ 33 ] Moments late Ljungberg beat his marker and crossed the ball into the penalty area, only for Bergkamp to drag his shoot across-the-board. [ 32 ] United threatened once the game reached the hour grade, winning duels and earning set-pieces. Gabriel Heinze ‘s shoot from about 20 yards tested Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann in the sixty-fifth minute. [ 34 ] Five minutes late Wenger substituted Reyes off in invest of Pires. [ 28 ] The most controversial decision of the peer came in the 73rd moment as it led to the open finish. [ 30 ] Touré ‘s clearance presented United the chance to break in numbers and Rooney, at the heart of their attack, reached the penalty area lone to go down under Campbell ‘s challenge. [ 29 ] Riley awarded United a punishment, despite Campbell seeming to withdraw from the rigging and Rooney “ … already heading for the turf as the defender pulled his foot away, ” wrote Kevin McCarra in his peer report for The Guardian. [ 29 ] Van Nistelrooy converted his penalty kick, sending Lehmann the faulty way to give United the contribute. [ 29 ] Arsenal responded hurriedly, but looked more susceptible to United ‘s counter-attacks. Cole ‘s sliding undertake on Cristiano Ronaldo near the punishment area was deemed acceptable by Riley, as he waved away appeals for another penalty. [ 30 ] The defender came close to equalising minutes before the end, but for his shoot to go wide. In blockage time, United added their second gear goal of the match as substitutes Louis Saha and Alan Smith combined to set up Rooney, who finished a counter-attacking move with a tap-in past Lehmann. [ 35 ]
Details [edit ]
         Manchester United
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   Arsenal
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Man of the match
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Match rules
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Statistics [edit ]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arsenal | 10 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 29 | 10 | +19 | 25 |
| 2 | Chelsea | 10 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 2 | +10 | 23 |
| 3 | Everton | 10 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 9 | +4 | 22 |
| 4 | Bolton Wanderers | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 16 | 12 | +4 | 18 |
| 5 | Manchester United | 10 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 11 | 7 | +4 | 17 |
| Statistic | Manchester United | Arsenal |
|---|---|---|
| Goals scored | 2 | 0 |
| Possession | 48.3% | 51.7% |
| Passing success | 75.6% | 77.2% |
| Territorial advantage | 41.1 | 58.9 |
| Shots on target | 5 | 1 |
| Shots off target | 5 | 7 |
| Blocked shots | 2 | 4 |
| Fouls | 20 | 24 |
| Tackles | 58 | 61 |
| Tackling success | 46.6% | 49.2% |
| Corner kicks | 3 | 3 |
| Offsides | 2 | 1 |
| Yellow cards | 2 | 3 |
| Red cards | 0 | 0 |
| Source:[37] | ||
not to be confused with Pizzagate conspiracy theory Campbell was seen refusing to shake Rooney ‘s hand at the final examination whistle and there were no accustomed shirt swaps between both sets of players ; it was alleged that the Arsenal players wore T-shirts emblazoned with “ 50 not out ”, though this has never been test. [ 38 ] Tempers boiled over in the players ‘ tunnel in front of police officers. respective Arsenal players were held binding, one of whom was Henry, incensed that Ferdinand claimed the man-of-the-match prize. [ 39 ] The battle sparked into life when Wenger confronted Van Nistelrooy as he was infelicitous with the striker ‘s challenge on Cole. [ 1 ] Ferguson intervened and told Wenger to leave his players alone, but the Arsenal director faced him and said “ What do you want to do about it ? ” [ 40 ]
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There were accusations that certain foodstuffs – normally reported as pizza, but occasionally reported as coffee, tomato soup or pea soup – had been thrown at Ferguson by an unknown Arsenal player. [ 41 ] Ferguson changed into the golf club tracksuit in order to carry out his television duties. [ 1 ] speculation that the actor who threw the pizza was Cesc Fàbregas [ 42 ] arose when Cole hinted that the perpetrator was neither english nor french. [ 43 ] In his autobiography, Ferguson said : “ They say it was Cesc Fàbregas who threw the pizza at me but, to this sidereal day, I have no idea who the perpetrator is. ” [ 44 ] Fàbregas confirmed he did throw the pizza on an episode of A League of Their Own, broadcast in October 2017. [ 45 ] Manchester United refused to publicly criticise Arsenal ‘s behavior, but the players and staff were said to be “ shocked and disgusted. ” [ 39 ] Riley did not mention the burrow affray in his match reputation which was sent to the FA, but the governing body revealed their purpose to shed light on the matter. [ 1 ] An probe however was made unmanageable given the fact that both clubs remained tranquillity over “ Pizzagate ” and no camera footage was made available. [ 46 ]
reaction [edit ]
Wenger was highly critical of Riley ‘s performance, claiming he “ … decided the game, like we know he can do at Old Trafford. ” [ 47 ] The Arsenal coach claimed that Rooney told his players that he felt no contact, but the referee made the decision to give Manchester United a penalty which he called the turning steer of the match. [ 48 ] Wenger used statistics to question Riley ‘s impartiality – of the referee ‘s survive eight matches at Old Trafford, he awarded eight penalties to the home team. [ 48 ] Wenger was not surprised at United ‘s rough treatment of Reyes – “ That ‘s what they constantly try against us when they ‘re in a unmanageable site ” and accused Van Nistelrooy of being a cheat on in his post-match television interview. [ 47 ] Vieira, like his coach, was disappointed in Riley ‘s manage of the match, but sought positives : “ We ‘re still eight points clear of United and two points clear of Chelsea. We ‘re in a in truth dear position and all the other teams would want to be in our place. ” [ 49 ] Ferguson described the win as an crucial victory, and hoped it would mark a turn point in their season. [ 50 ] Ferguson said he did not see whether Campbell brought down Rooney and sympathised with the referee as he was put under pressure : “ The referee had an impossible occupation. It seemed like Patrick Vieira was in charge for much of the match, he was at the referee ‘s side so much. ” [ 50 ] When asked if Manchester United could close the break on Arsenal, the Manchester United director responded, “ Yes, of class we can. ” [ 48 ]
“ We can merely master our own performance, not the referee ‘s performance. We got the usual penalty awarded against us when we come to Manchester United and they are in difficulty. It happened final season and it ‘s happened again. ”
Arsène Wenger, October 2004 [ 49 ]
The match attracted ardent argue amongst journalists, pundits and football players alike. Former reviewer Jeff Winter defended Riley ‘s performance and described fixtures between Manchester United and Arsenal as “ impossible ” to manage. [ 41 ] Premier League refereeing foreman Keith Hackett added : “ We know this is one of the sturdy encounters of the season. Mike intelligibly had a game plan to try not to suppress the match. He wanted it to breathe and possibly went in with the intention of getting through the game without having to dismiss any players. In the back of his mind was trying to get through a game without having a blow-up and I think Mike did highly well to keep a lid on things. ” [ 41 ] Rooney himself would former deny the accusations, saying “ I have never intentionally tried to dive. There have been times when I ’ ve tried to stay on my feet to get the shoot off rather than going down ”. [ 51 ] Alan Hansen suggested Arsenal ‘s frustration was a great leave for their rivals, but felt they were strong favourites to win the league. [ 52 ] He praised Ferguson for getting his tactics right, and lauded the performances of defenders Ferdinand and Campbell. [ 52 ] On Match of the Day 2, Hansen was critical of Van Nistelrooy ‘s tackle on Cole, calling it “ filthy and cynical ”, with avant-garde Nistelrooy saying it was a 50/50 challenge. [ 53 ] Henry Winter writing for The Daily Telegraph gave a brief explanation as to why Arsenal did not perform – their striker Henry was “ not at the races. ” [ 54 ] He was wax of praise of United ‘s determination and summarised : “ Yet though Arsenal had dominated monomania, United had offered the more impressive individuals. ” [ 54 ] Matt Dickinson of The Times described the victory as huge for “ Ferguson and his falter team, ” regardless of the scoreline or indeed if Arsenal had played the better football in patches. [ 48 ] The Guardian analogous Kevin McCarra felt aggrieved in the manner Arsenal had ended their unbeaten run, but pointed out they were fortunate no action was taken when Cole fouled Ronaldo. He closed his objet d’art with an illustration of how impressive Arsenal ‘s scat was : “ In those anterior 49 games they had never even been behind in the close 20 minutes. ” [ 29 ] Two days after the match Van Nistelrooy was charged with dangerous foul play after his challenge on Cole went unnoticed by the reviewer. He pleaded guilty to the crime and received a three-match prohibition for his behavior during the match. [ 55 ] Wenger was found guilty of an improper behave agitate and later fined £15,000 by the FA for his post-match comments about Van Nistelrooy. [ 56 ] Ferguson accused Henry of “ serious dirty act ” on Heinze, but the striker escaped an FA probe and probable three-match banish as the director ‘s complaint was not submitted on time. [ 57 ]
Aftermath and bequest [edit ]
Arsenal struggled to regain the same flat of consistency shown earlier in the season ; in the space of a calendar month they fell five points behind leaders Chelsea, [ 58 ] who went on to win the league. [ 59 ] Manchester United remained inconsistent ; they lost to Portsmouth in their future game [ 60 ] and ended the temper in one-third put behind Arsenal, despite looking likely to finish runner-up. [ 61 ] In the League Cup, the clubs met in the quarter-final degree at Old Trafford in December and even though both sides fielded cut teams, the match was not short of play. [ 62 ] David Bellion gave Manchester United the lead in fair 19 seconds but it was not until the start of the second half that tempers began to flare. [ 62 ] A affray between Robin van Persie and Kieran Richardson, following a deep tackle on Richardson by Van Persie, resulted in clashes from both sets of players, which concluded with both protagonists getting booked by pit official Mark Halsey. The game finished 1–0. [ 62 ] In January 2005, both managers were embroiled in a new row over the events of “ Pizzagate ”. Ferguson said Wenger never apologised to his players for calling them cheats, or for his team ‘s behavior, adding : “ It ‘s a take down, but I do n’t expect Wenger to ever apologise, he ‘s that type of person. ” [ 63 ] Wenger responded by claiming Ferguson was guilty of “ bringing the game into disrepute ” and telling reporters he would “ never answer any questions any more about this man. ” [ 64 ] Under pressure from the patrol, the Sports Minister Richard Caborn and Premier League chair Richard Scudamore, both managers late agreed to tone down their words. [ 65 ] Manchester United captain Roy Keane infamously confronted Vieira in the players tunnel before the return regular later in the season, which United won 4–2 at Highbury. [ 66 ] This came about by an incidental during the pre-game warm up when Vieira had allegedly pushed Gary Neville after confronting the actor about the challenges Pires suffered at Old Trafford earlier in the season. [ 66 ] Once Keane found out binding in the United dress room, he unleashed a verbal tirade on Vieira including telling the Arsenal skipper “ I ‘ll see you out there ”. [ 66 ] The equal that followed was another ill-spirited matter with both sides guilty of harsh challenges, which besides saw Mikaël Silvestre sent off after a clash with Ljungberg. United went on to win the game, coming from behind twice before holding onto the lead, despite being reduced to 10 men for the last third of the match. [ 67 ]
arsenal fans parading a banner commemorating the 49-game unbeaten run, in 2014. The teams then faced each early once more in the FA Cup Final at the end of the temper. The equal was largely uneventful as it finished 0–0 after convention and extra time therefore taking it to a penalty shoot-out, the first in Cup Final history. [ 68 ] Scholes missed his punishment for Manchester United, and Vieira converted the critical complain to win the cup for Arsenal. Reyes became the second musician to be sent off in the Cup Final, after his second chicken card in the hundred-and-twentieth moment. [ 68 ] The “ Battle of the Buffet ” is regarded as a historic here and now in the competition between Manchester United and Arsenal. Ferguson in his autobiography reflected it as the detail where his relationship with Wenger started to break down, and it was not until United ‘s Champions League semi-final victory over Arsenal in 2009 that they were on talking terms. [ 69 ] He added : “ It seemed to me that losing the game scrambled Arsène ‘s brain. ” [ 70 ] When asked to recollect his version of events of “ Pizzagate ”, Wenger admitted his team ‘s demeanor was aggressive and said : “ I think on that day, [ Riley ] had not his best day and that brought a lot of frustration on. ” [ 71 ] The emergence of Chelsea and transitions undergo by the two clubs during the mid-2000s intend the competition became less fractious. [ 72 ]
See besides [edit ]
References [edit ]
General
Specific
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