Wayne Rooney Reflects on Tense Rivalry with Sol Campbell
Wayne Rooney has revealed that his former England teammate Sol Campbell did not speak to him for six months following a controversial penalty incident during Manchester United's 2-0 victory over Arsenal in the 2004-05 season.
At that time, Arsenal, managed by Arsène Wenger, had just completed the previous season as Premier League Invincibles. However, Sir Alex Ferguson's United ended their 49-game unbeaten league streak in a match marked by intense rivalry at Old Trafford.
Ruud van Nistelrooy opened the scoring by converting a penalty after Rooney was brought down in the box by Arsenal's centre-back Campbell. Rooney, who had recently transferred to United from Everton, capped off the win with a goal in the 93rd minute on his 19th birthday.
The match was also notable for a chaotic incident where Cesc Fàbregas, then a 17-year-old Arsenal midfielder, threw a slice of pizza at Ferguson, a moment that later became known as 'Pizzagate.'
Reflecting on the match during his new BBC podcast, The Wayne Rooney Show, Rooney stated, "It was a big game for Arsenal. If they had won, it would have marked 50 games unbeaten for them. We beat them 2-0, and Campbell did not speak to me for over six months. We met up during international duty, and Sol wouldn’t talk to me. I would say, 'Come on man, we are playing for England here,' but he wouldn’t respond because he believed I had dived. There was a bit of contact, but I think he left his leg out."
The fierce rivalry between Arsenal and Manchester United saw a total of seven red cards issued in matches between the teams from February 1997 to February 2005, as both clubs vied for top honors. In the 2003-04 season, Van Nistelrooy faced accusations from Arsenal players of overreacting, which led to the dismissal of Gunners captain Patrick Vieira for a second yellow card. The situation escalated further when Van Nistelrooy missed an injury-time penalty in the infamous 'Battle of Old Trafford,' provoking heated reactions from his opponents, particularly Martin Keown.
The following season, tensions flared again when Roy Keane and Vieira clashed in the tunnel at Arsenal's former Highbury stadium, requiring referee Graham Poll to intervene.
Looking back at Arsenal's recent 1-0 win at Old Trafford in their Premier League opener, Rooney noted, "When I joined United, the rivalry was significant. I loved playing against them, but it has cooled down somewhat now. I remember my first game at Highbury for United, which featured the tunnel incident with Roy and Vieira. You could feel the tension in the air, and even the referees sensed it. We also had the incident with Fàbregas and Ferguson in the tunnel, with the pizza being thrown. There were numerous altercations in the tunnel where everyone was involved."