- Arsene Wenger has been involved in his own Premier League rows over the years
- The Arsenal boss regularly clashed with Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United
- Ex-Arsenal captain Mikel Arteta was wounded in Manchester City’s United row
Arsene Wenger has seen competitive passion erupt into unruly scuffles in the Old Trafford tunnel and was not entirely surprised to learn of the rumble which followed the Manchester derby.
Former Arsenal captain Mikel Arteta, now Pep Guardiola’s assistant at Manchester City, was wounded by a flying plastic water bottle as players and staff clashed after City’s win against rivals United.
‘Sometimes that can happen in big derbies,’ said Wenger, who witnessed similar scenes when Arsenal lost at United in October 2004, ending his team’s 49-match unbeaten run in the Premier League.
Arsene Wenger says he is not surprised tensions spilled over after the Manchester derby
Wenger often clashed with Sir Alex Ferguson when Arsenal played Manchester United
That tunnel brawl 13 years ago descended into a food fight and was dubbed ‘Pizzagate’ because United boss Sir Alex Ferguson was hit by a slice of pizza thrown by Cesc Fabregas.
‘You build these things up like it is life or death and after something happens you are surprised,’ said Wenger. ‘It is part of the intensity and importance of the games, sometimes it can go a bit overboard.
‘It happened to us, it happened to them and it’s unfortunate. Ideally you would commit 100 per cent and 200 per cent on the pitch and be an angel after, but it is not always the case. You want the passion to be on the football pitch.’
The latest battle of Old Trafford was triggered when United boss Jose Mourinho took offence at what he thought were excessive celebrations by the City players following their 2-1 win on Sunday.
Wenger said: ‘It is difficult to take when you lose a big game, to see the 100 per cent celebration on the other side.
Ex-Arsenal captain, now Manchester City assistant, Mikel Arteta was hurt in the fall-out
United and City’s players got in a brawl after the final whistle and Mourinho was hit by a bottle
‘I don’t know what happened really. It’s always in my experience a little bit like an offence and that’s why when I was in Japan I enjoyed sumo, because in sumo you never can tell which guy wins.
‘He doesn’t show his happiness out of respect for his opponent and that shows how deep the culture is there for the respect for each other.
‘Is it something you can copy? I don’t think so because it’s not part of our culture.’
