Battle of Old Trafford
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The match programme cover
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| Event | 2003–04 FA Premier League | ||||||
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| Date | 21 September 2003 | ||||||
| Venue | Old Trafford, Manchester | ||||||
| Referee | Steve Bennett (Kent) | ||||||
| Attendance | 67,639 | ||||||
| Weather | Sunny | ||||||
The "Battle of Old Trafford" is a name used by the British press to refer to a Premier League match played on Sunday, 21 September 2003 between Manchester United and Arsenal. The name was later applied to the same fixture during the following season. The final result, a 0–0 draw, turned out to be significant for Arsenal as they went on to finish the league season without a single defeat, something that had only been achieved once before in English football, by Preston North End in 1888–89.
The highlights of the match included the sending-off of Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira for a second bookable offence, for an incident that also brought about a booking for Manchester United centre-forward Ruud van Nistelrooy, and the decision by referee Steve Bennett to award Manchester United a penalty kick in the last minute of the match. Players from both teams were charged by The Football Association (the FA) for their reactions at the end of the game, five Arsenal players and two Manchester United players were forced to pay fines.
Fixtures between Manchester United and Arsenal had seen a number of controversial incidents in the previous seasons. The rivalry between the two clubs had grown more intense since the formation of the Premier League in 1992, since when all but one Premier League title had been won by Manchester United or Arsenal (Blackburn Rovers won the title in 1994–95). However, the rivalry could be traced back to Alex Ferguson's first fixture against Arsenal as United manager in 1987, when David Rocastle was sent off and a row erupted. The following season, Brian McClair missed a penalty for United in an FA Cup tie and Nigel Winterburn made a point of aggravating him. McClair got his revenge in 1990: after a lunging tackle from Winterburn on Denis Irwin, McClair and Irwin both kicked Winterburn while he lay on the floor, sparking a 21-man brawl. Both teams were fined and deducted points and it has often been suggested that this was a turning point in relations. The rivalry continued to intensify as "hard men" such as Patrick Vieira, Roy Keane and Martin Keown joined the sides.
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