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Battle of the Buffet
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Battle of the Buffet
The "Battle of the Buffet", also known as "Pizzagate", was a Premier League match played between Manchester United and Arsenal at Old Trafford, Manchester, on 24 October 2004. Arsenal dictated much of the early play and created several openings, but as the game progressed Manchester United threatened. The home team were awarded a penalty in the 73rd minute, when Wayne Rooney was deemed to have been fouled by Sol Campbell. Ruud van Nistelrooy converted the penalty kick; Rooney also scored late 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.
In the tunnel after the match, tempers boiled over between staff of both clubs, and amid the brawl, a slice of pizza was thrown at Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson. Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fàbregas, then 17 years old, was reported to be the culprit, which he admitted in 2017. Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger was furious in his post-match briefing, criticising referee Mike Riley for his performance and describing Van Nistelrooy as a cheat. 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 result was pivotal in the league season and in the rivalry between the two clubs. Arsenal's form 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 later met each other in the League Cup quarter-finals and the FA Cup final. Ferguson, following his retirement in 2013, said that he considered the "Battle of the Buffet" to be a watershed moment for Wenger, as it disorientated his management and put a strain on their relationship.
The appointment of Arsène Wenger as manager of Arsenal in 1996 brought about a successful period for the club. In Wenger's first full season, 1997–98, Arsenal won the Premier League and FA Cup to complete a domestic double. Though the club failed to win another trophy in the next three seasons, they vied for domestic honours with Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United. Arsenal won their second double in 2001–02, before Manchester United regained the league the following season. In 2003–04, Arsenal won the league without a single defeat – a record of 26 wins and 12 draws.
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 rivalry is not simply about winning trophies, it is an adornment to the wider game." The matches were also 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 programme on multi-channel television for that week. Sky Sports football summariser Andy Gray said of the encounters: "In some ways it's maybe not surprising that our major clashes have been with United and Arsenal. They've been the Premiership's two dominant clubs and so the pressure is greatest on them."
The equivalent fixture a year earlier was a goalless draw, notable for Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy missing a last-minute penalty. A confrontation involving the striker and several Arsenal players, in particular Martin Keown, immediately occurred. The ill feeling was originally sparked by an incident between Van Nistelrooy and Patrick Vieira. Having been fouled by Van Nistelrooy, Vieira aimed a kick in retaliation; although the kick did not make contact, he was still sent off for a second bookable offence. 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. 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). Two Manchester United players were also fined for improper conduct, with a third warned about his future behaviour. The 2003 match was originally labelled the "Battle of Old Trafford" by the British press.
Arsenal entered the match as league leaders, two points in front of second-placed Chelsea. Their previous league outing was a 3–1 win against Aston Villa on 16 October 2004. The victory extended Arsenal's unbeaten league run to 49 matches, which set a new English football record. On the same day, Manchester United played out a 0–0 draw against Birmingham City. United sat in sixth position, 11 points behind their opponents. 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 transition but if by Christmas they have not begun to pick up, their critics will begin to wonder at what precise point does transition become decline."
The significance of the fixture for the two clubs was increased by the fact that, had Arsenal avoided defeat, they would have extended their unbeaten league run to 50 matches. Wenger told reporters at his press conference that he felt no increased pressure, though added the team's midweek draw in the UEFA Champions League at Panathinaikos increased expectation. He admitted his team's behaviour in the fixture last season was unacceptable, but pointed out "... the best response we gave was to win the fair play table. That meant we took responsibility for what we did and we have improved our attitude." Wenger believed United's strengths lay in creativity, and did not want to set his team out to nullify, rather to "... play our game based on speed and technique."
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Battle of the Buffet
The "Battle of the Buffet", also known as "Pizzagate", was a Premier League match played between Manchester United and Arsenal at Old Trafford, Manchester, on 24 October 2004. Arsenal dictated much of the early play and created several openings, but as the game progressed Manchester United threatened. The home team were awarded a penalty in the 73rd minute, when Wayne Rooney was deemed to have been fouled by Sol Campbell. Ruud van Nistelrooy converted the penalty kick; Rooney also scored late 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.
In the tunnel after the match, tempers boiled over between staff of both clubs, and amid the brawl, a slice of pizza was thrown at Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson. Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fàbregas, then 17 years old, was reported to be the culprit, which he admitted in 2017. Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger was furious in his post-match briefing, criticising referee Mike Riley for his performance and describing Van Nistelrooy as a cheat. 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 result was pivotal in the league season and in the rivalry between the two clubs. Arsenal's form 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 later met each other in the League Cup quarter-finals and the FA Cup final. Ferguson, following his retirement in 2013, said that he considered the "Battle of the Buffet" to be a watershed moment for Wenger, as it disorientated his management and put a strain on their relationship.
The appointment of Arsène Wenger as manager of Arsenal in 1996 brought about a successful period for the club. In Wenger's first full season, 1997–98, Arsenal won the Premier League and FA Cup to complete a domestic double. Though the club failed to win another trophy in the next three seasons, they vied for domestic honours with Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United. Arsenal won their second double in 2001–02, before Manchester United regained the league the following season. In 2003–04, Arsenal won the league without a single defeat – a record of 26 wins and 12 draws.
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 rivalry is not simply about winning trophies, it is an adornment to the wider game." The matches were also 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 programme on multi-channel television for that week. Sky Sports football summariser Andy Gray said of the encounters: "In some ways it's maybe not surprising that our major clashes have been with United and Arsenal. They've been the Premiership's two dominant clubs and so the pressure is greatest on them."
The equivalent fixture a year earlier was a goalless draw, notable for Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy missing a last-minute penalty. A confrontation involving the striker and several Arsenal players, in particular Martin Keown, immediately occurred. The ill feeling was originally sparked by an incident between Van Nistelrooy and Patrick Vieira. Having been fouled by Van Nistelrooy, Vieira aimed a kick in retaliation; although the kick did not make contact, he was still sent off for a second bookable offence. 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. 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). Two Manchester United players were also fined for improper conduct, with a third warned about his future behaviour. The 2003 match was originally labelled the "Battle of Old Trafford" by the British press.
Arsenal entered the match as league leaders, two points in front of second-placed Chelsea. Their previous league outing was a 3–1 win against Aston Villa on 16 October 2004. The victory extended Arsenal's unbeaten league run to 49 matches, which set a new English football record. On the same day, Manchester United played out a 0–0 draw against Birmingham City. United sat in sixth position, 11 points behind their opponents. 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 transition but if by Christmas they have not begun to pick up, their critics will begin to wonder at what precise point does transition become decline."
The significance of the fixture for the two clubs was increased by the fact that, had Arsenal avoided defeat, they would have extended their unbeaten league run to 50 matches. Wenger told reporters at his press conference that he felt no increased pressure, though added the team's midweek draw in the UEFA Champions League at Panathinaikos increased expectation. He admitted his team's behaviour in the fixture last season was unacceptable, but pointed out "... the best response we gave was to win the fair play table. That meant we took responsibility for what we did and we have improved our attitude." Wenger believed United's strengths lay in creativity, and did not want to set his team out to nullify, rather to "... play our game based on speed and technique."
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