PSV Eindhoven manager Ruud Van Nistelrooy has jokingly stated how he helped Arsenal maintain their unbeaten record after he missed a penalty in a fiery Premier League game with Manchester United in the 2003-2004 season.
Ruud van Nistelrooy returned to the Emirate stadium on Thursday, October 20, 2022. This time, not as a player but a head coach of PSV Eindhoven.
He jokingly said that he expected a warm welcome from the Arsenal fans after he helped the team maintain their invincible status throughout the 2003/04 Premier League season.
Arsenal created history after they went unbeaten in all 38 Premier League matches in the 2003-2004 season.
In a fiery game against Manchester United at the Old Trafford, the scoreline was still 0-0 when the Gunners conceded a penalty with few minutes left to play.
Van Nistelrooy took the penalty which would have separated the tie between both clubs. He missed it and the game ended in a 0-0 draw.
Despite his incredible goal-scoring stats with the Red Devils, the penalty miss turned out to be the high point of his career in English Premier League.
19 years ago today, The Battle of Old Trafford, where Patrick Vieira was sent off and Ruud van Nistelrooy missed a last minute penalty after Forlan dived. One of most heated endings to a football match, football hasn't seen a better rivalry since. #AFC pic.twitter.com/vxT33saMtO
— Gunners (@Gunnersc0m) September 21, 2022
The PSV Eindhoven coach faced Arsenal in a rescheduled Europa League fixture at the Emirates on Thursday.
Unfortunately for him and PSV, Granit Xhaka’s 70th minute goal was all Arsenal needed to top Europa League Group A with 12 points in four games. The 1-0 defeat has forced PSV to occupy the second spot on the group with 7 points in four games.
Before the defeat, Ruud Van Nistelrooy said: “I expect a warm welcome. I kept them invincible because of my miss.”
Fortunately for him, he didn’t get a hostile welcome from the fans but his team might a matter Arsenal side that didn’t give PSV the room to dominate the game. Just like how he was heartbroken after failing to score against Arsenal during his playing days, Xhaka broke his heart with the winning goal.
As it stands, Arsenal have won on their group matches in the Europa League this season and will be expecting to build on their hundred percent record in the return leg against PSV on October 27.
PSV Eindhoven have won two matches, recorded a defeat (against Arsenal) and drew one, garnering 7 points in four games. They have to boost their chances of making it from the group by getting a win against Arsenal at the Philips Stadion in Eindhoven, Netherlands.
Ruud Van Nistelrooy Hails Mikel Arteta;
After the 1-0 defeat at the hands of Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Thursday, Ruud Van Nistelrooy hailed the club’s coach Mikel Arteta, noting that Arteta’s team is playing the way the Spanish coach wants his team to play.
Note that Arteta’s Arsenal are not just topping their Europa League group this season, they are currently topping the Premier League table with four points above second placed Manchester City.
Asked what he made of Arsenal and if they have a fair chance of doing well this season, Van Nistelrooy replied at his post-match press conference: “I was able to share my appreciation for Mikel.
“The way he’s building his team, the way he’s letting his team play, the signings he’s made to make his team play the way he wants to play and he’s connecting it with results.
“And if you are 10 games gone in the Premier League, winning nine of them, you’re definitely a contender.
“Obviously it’s the youngest team in the Premier League more or less, so that is the challenge.
“But they have the squad for it and the quality for it and the manager for it.”
🗣️ “We couldn’t beat Arsenal’s press.”
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) October 20, 2022
PSV boss Ruud van Nistelrooy says his sides deep defending caused them to struggle to get out against Arsenal as his side suffered a 1-0 loss at the Emirates. pic.twitter.com/mLYZS0IZTl
Ruud Van Nistelrooy
Ruud Van Nistelrooy, popularly known as Van Nistelrooy, is a former Premier League and Manchester United player, now the head coach of PSV Eindhoven.
Born on 1 July 1976 in Oss, Netherlands, Van Nistelrooy played as a striker for Manchester United, Real Madrid, Hamburger, Malaga, and clubs in his home country, the Netherlands.
He started his professional football career with Den Bosch in 1993, making 69 appearances and scoring 17 goals.
After spells with Heerenveen, PSV Eindhoven, and other European clubs outside the Netherlands, Ruud Van Nistelrooy ended his football career as a professional footballer in 2012 with Malaga of Spain as his last club.
Throughout his career as a professional footballer, he has made 449 club appearances scoring 229 goals.
He was capped 70 times for the Netherlands national team, scoring 35 goals since making his debut in 1998.
Van Nistelrooy has been an assistant coach for the Dutch national team and has managed Jong PSV, including PSV Eindhoven U19.
He is currently the coach of PSV Eindhoven.
Ruud Van Nistelrooy has won the Johan Cruyff Shield as a player and manager.
During his days as a Manchester United player, he won the Premier League, FA Cup, Community Shield, and Community Shield.
He also won La Liga and Supercopa de Espana as a Real Madrid player.
The 46-year-old also raked in several individual awards.
Ruud Van Nistelrooy is a Roman Catholic. He married his old-time girlfriend, Leontien Slaats, in 2004. They have two children together.
