Man, 42, is arrested on suspicion of assault after Roy Keane was ‘headbutted by a fan at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium’
Police have arrested a man after footage emerged of a fan allegedly headbutting Roy Keane in a catering area at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium, leaving ‘blood on the floor’.
Footage shared on social media last night showed Keane’s Sky Sports colleague Micah Richards struggling with someone to restrain him, but he had left before the guards arrived.
Today Sky Sports confirmed that Richards had tried to ‘defuse’ the situation – when the Met announced it had arrested a 42-year-old on suspicion of assault.
The 52-year-old former Manchester United captain was confronted by a man at the top of the West Stand as he waited for a lift to take him onto the pitch, Mail Sport understands.
The man allegedly headbutted Keane and hit the Irishman on the chest and chin.
Do you know the man involved? Send an email to rory.tingle@mailonline.co.uk
Footage shared on social media last night showed Roy Keane’s Sky Sports colleague Micah Richards struggling with a man to restrain him, but he had left before the guards arrived
Today, the Met confirmed it had launched an investigation into the incident and made an arrest
Keane (second from right) and Richards (far left) then continued their post-game expert duties
Today Sky confirmed the incident, saying: ‘We understand that police are investigating an alleged attack by a member of the public just ahead of the images circulating on social media.
“In the footage shown, Micah Richards acted to defuse a situation.”
A witness said Richards intervened after a fan attacked his colleague.
Describing the aftermath of the incident, the witness added, “Afterwards, we saw a small amount of blood on the floor.”
The incident came shortly after Man Utd winger Alejandro Garnacho appeared to have won the match for United in the 88th minute.
Keane and Richards, who teamed up with former Arsenal player Theo Walcott, had raced back to the studio to see what had happened, with Garnacho’s goal eventually disallowed after a VAR check.
Keane, who had a tempestuous relationship with Arsenal throughout his playing career, was eventually escorted onto the pitch where he continued broadcasting.
The Emirates were a cauldron of noise on Sunday after Declan Rice scored late
The Met said: ‘Police are investigating an attack that allegedly took place at the Emirates Stadium during a match between Arsenal and Manchester United on Sunday 3 September.
How Keane once confronted the Arsenal captain in the tunnel
United traveled to Arsenal on a cold February evening in 2005, but the tunnel had reached boiling point.
Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira warned Gary Neville in the tunnel that he was going to be in trouble and Keane defended his player to the hilt.
A flurry of abuse between the two groups of players continued before Keane reached the front of the player’s line and shouted to Vieira, “See you there. Scream your mouth out every week. Pretend you’re a nice guy.”
United would go on to win the game 4–2.
Keane (right) points to Vieira (off screen)
“Investigations are underway. Any witnesses or people with information are asked to call 101 ref CAD 6961/3 Sept.’
Sunday’s game reached boiling point before the whistle, with the Emirates making a cauldron of noise after an eventful 113-minute action.
Striker Marcus Rashford opened the scoring for United as they took the lead towards the end of the game by scoring in the counter-attack against dangerous Arsenal.
Their joy was short-lived as Arsenal answered with the equalizer just 35 seconds later, eventually reigniting the rivalry between two great rivals.
£105 million summer arrival Declan Rice picked up a winner in the 96th minute and thrilled the home crowd, before Gabriel Jesus added a third as United looked for a final equaliser.
Keane and Arsenal have had a fraught relationship over the years, with the 52-year-old’s feud with former Gunners captain Patrick Vieira at the center of a tense relationship between the North and South.
Arsenal vs Manchester United remains one of the most notorious rivalries in the Premier League.
Between 1996 and 2004, the famous duo shared the top English title while dominating the rest of the division.
Keane was usually at the heart of the drama as he led the Red Devils to Arsenal’s old stadium, Highbury, and even before Sunday’s game he described players as ‘going to battle’.
The defining individual clash between two titans in this match is shared by Keane and Vieira and it all dates back to the Frenchman’s arrival on the English coast 27 years ago, after coming over from AC Milan.
Both in their prime, both captaining their teams and neither punching even before they stepped onto the pitch. They set the tone that their teams would follow.
Keane (left) shared a strained relationship with former Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira (right) during their playing days.
To this day, they still share the most famous tunneling moment in English football history, when Keane supported young Gary Neville and criticized Vieira for picking United’s full-back position.
United would go on to win the affair 4–2 as referee Graham Poll tried to keep Keane and Vieira away from each other in the tight space before the game.
There were numerous other incidents where Keane to this day has maintained his status as one of the ‘hard men’ in football after overseeing a no-nonsense approach during his time as Man United captain.
The pair eventually reconciled after both devoted time to their playing careers and have collaborated in science ever since, but the rivalry between two of England’s biggest clubs remains.
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