Roy Keane blames Gary Neville for tunnel tussle between Arsenal and Man United in 2005

Man United hero Roy Keane has jokingly blamed Gary Neville for his infamous tunnel tussle with Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira back in 2005. Keane and Vieira engaged in a near physical battle before Arsenal's encounter against Man United at Highbury which has come to epitomise the rivalry between the two clubs. In the video footage, Keane can be seen calling out Vieira just before the teams prepared to walk onto the field. 

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Roy Keane opens up on tunnel bust-up with Patrick Vieira, blames Gary Neville

Ahead of Man United's clash against Arsenal on Sunday, seven-time Premier League champion Roy Keane was shown footage of his tunnel bust-up with Partick Vieira at Highbury in 2005. Several reports have claimed that Vieira initially began arguing with Gary Neville in the tunnel. However, once Keane got a grasp of the situation, he intervened and began to exchange words with Vieira himself. 

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When asked about the incident on Sky Sports, Keane remained his stern self but jokingly shifted the blame on Gary Neville. "It looks a lot worse than what actually happened, but it was Gary's fault", said the Irishman. Keane and Vieira were often involved in heated battles on the pitch, but this time it was different as the duo confronted each other even before kick-off. 

He went on to admit that his former teammate was getting bullied by the Frenchman, "Gary was getting bullied by those big Arsenal players in the tunnel and normally I'm quite a placid guy. But if you cross a line with me then I have to react". The 49-year-old stepped in to defend his teammate and then had a verbal spat with Vieira. However, despite the confrontations and tussles in the tunnel, Keane explained that the most important thing for United was that they won the game. 

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Man United won that game 2-4 thanks to goals John O'Shea, a brace from Cristiano Ronaldo and an own goal from Ashley Cole. Vieira and Bergkamp were the goalscorers for Arsenal on that evening. Arsenal finished in second place on the league table that season, 12 points behind champions Chelsea, while Man United finished in third.

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Man United vs Arsenal: Gunners claim three points at Old Trafford thanks to Aubameyang penalty

The game between Man United and Arsenal on Sunday was a relatively dull affair at Old Trafford. However, it was Mikel Arteta's Arsenal who claimed the win thanks to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's second-half penalty. The game ended 1-0 as Arsenal moved into ninth on the table while United now languish in 15th place with seven points from their six games. 

Image Credits - Man United Youtube