Manchester United legend Ruud van Nistelrooy and former Arsenal man Martin Keown finally buried the hatchet over their bitter feud, which lasted more than two decades.
The two reunited earlier on Saturday, ahead of Leicester’s clash with Arsenal at the King Power Stadium.
Van Nistelrooy and Keown were involved in one of the most infamous incidents in Premier League history, back in 2003.
The United talisman missed a last-minute penalty in a goalless draw with Arsenal, sparking a wild reaction from Keown, who celebrated in his face.
Keown’s action sparked a massive brawl between the two sides, who enjoyed a fierce rivalry during the height of the Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger years. Arsenal would go on to win the title unbeaten.
Ruud van Nistelrooy missing a penalty and Martin Keown getting in his face post match sums up the Manchester United & Arsenal rivalry! #MUNARS pic.twitter.com/nBZ2XkzkOm
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) September 30, 2019
22 years later, Van Nistelrooy came up against Arsenal once again, this time as manager of the Foxes.
Before the match, the pair spoke on TNT Sports, where Keown apologised for how he behaved.
Their exchange went like this:
Van Nistelrooy: “Martin, you OK? Good to see you.”
Keown: “Nice to see you after all these years.”
Van Nistelrooy: “Likewise. It’s been a while. I saw you once at Villa Park, you remember?”
Keown: “Yes, apologies for all of the shenanigans that went on back in the day.”
Van Nistelrooy: “What happens on the pitch stays on the pitch.”
Keown: “I thought you were going to stamp on me when you came out.”
Van Nistelrooy: “It was a good rivalry, wasn’t it?”
Keown: “Great days. I am glad you are standing there and not next to me because you used to love stamping on me.”
Van Nistelrooy: “I liked to block you out and fall over as well.”
Keown: “Great memories.”
“Apologies for all the shenanigans that went on back in the day.” 💪
Ruud van Nistelrooy catches up with Martin Keown to settle the differences from their playing days 🤣
🎙 @lynseyhipgrave1 | 📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/ui3yaWiSWF
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) February 15, 2025
Van Nistelrooy’s Leicester lost 2-0 courtesy of a late brace by Mikel Merino. Merino replaced Raheem Sterling for the last 20 minutes of the fixture and slotted into the striker role.
The Spaniard scored twice in the 81st and 87th minute to clinch all three points for Arsenal.
The result has left Leicester languishing in 19th place, with just 17 points to their name after 25 games played.
Meanwhile, United are back in action on Sunday when they go away to Tottenham Hotspur. Kick-off is at 16:30 GMT.
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Derick Kinoti
Derick Kinoti is a football writer at The Peoples Person who has covered Manchester United and the game extensively for many years. He is a keen analyst with expertise in SEO and journalism standards. Derick is convinced Wayne Rooney is the true GOAT and won’t hear otherwise!
