‘I expect a warm welcome. I kept them invincible because of my miss’: Ruud van Nistelrooy jokes he’ll be embraced by Arsenal fans as PSV boss takes on old foes – after Martin Keown admits Man United legend ‘became a figure of hate among Gunners players’

Manchester United legend Ruud van Nistelrooy has joked that he expects a ‘warm welcome’ when he takes his place in the PSV dugout at the Emirates Stadium on Thursday.

The Dutch forward – now in charge of the Eredivisie outfit – won a Premier League and FA Cup with United, but a missed penalty at Old Trafford against Arsenal in 2003-04 was perhaps his most infamous exploit on English soil. 

And Martin Keown, who perhaps overzealously celebrated the missed penalty, has since claimed he could not trust Van Nistelrooy for a fair fight, branding him a ‘figure of hate’.

‘I expect a warm welcome. I kept them invincible because of my miss,’ quipped the former Holland and Real Madrid frontman ahead of his north London return. 

‘I didn’t react to what happened after the miss because of the incredible disappointment I felt at not bringing the win for my club.

‘The pressure was intense for both teams because you are competing for the Premier League and it’s possible it will be decided in those games. It’s 20 years ago now. 

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‘It doesn’t define me but coming back to England and to Arsenal, memories come back of my time there and those two infamous games are part of it.’

Arsenal travelled to Old Trafford in September 2003 at the start of their unbeaten campaign, but suffered an early set back after captain Patrick Vieira was shown a second yellow for a foul on Van Nistelrooy. 

But the Gunners looked to have escaped unscathed when the Dutch striker was given a penalty in the final minute of the game, however he could only hit the woodwork prompting Keown’s now notorious celebration. 

As a result of Vieira’s red card, Keown claimed: ‘Van Nistelrooy instantly became a figure of hate among Arsenal’s players. 

‘We felt he had succeeded in cheating to leave us up against it at Old Trafford, one of the most intimidating stadiums in world football at that time.

‘When he surprisingly crashed his spot-kick against the crossbar, I couldn’t contain my emotions. It was a raw reaction in the middle of a match that had so much riding on it between two great Premier League rivals.’ 

But now the Dutch striker is set to return to Arsenal at the head of a PSV side that has been hugely impressive since he took the helm this summer. 

PSV sit just a point behind Ajax in the Eredivisie, and could still potentially take top spot of their Europa League group if they can beat Arsenal home and away. 

Players such as Cody Gakpo and Xavi Simons have excelled this season in particular, with Gakpo scoring 13 and assisting 11 in all competitions at the start of 2022-23.