Manchester United legend Ruud van Nistelrooy has joked he expects a "warm welcome" from Arsenal fans when he takes his seat in the opposing dugout on Thursday night.
The former Red Devils striker brings his PSV Eindhoven side to the Emirates Stadium in the rearranged Europa League fixture following a chequered history as a player against the Gunners. Van Nistelrooy infamously missed a last minute penalty in the 2003/04 season which preserved Arsenal's unbeaten run in their 'Invincibles' campaign where they would eventually win the Premier League title without suffering defeat.
The incident also sparked a fierce exchange from Gunners players after Van Nistelrooy was deemed to have lured Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira into getting sent off. Speaking ahead of the reunion with his old foes, Van Nistelrooy quipped: "I expect a warm welcome. I kept them invincible because of my miss."
The lasting image from the clash is of Arsenal defender Martin Keown jumping with joy at the penalty miss before bringing an outstretched arm crashing down on Van Nistelrooy as other Gunners stars such as Lauren and Ray Parlour snarled in his face and shoved him from pillar to post.
Van Nistelrooy was surprisingly composed despite the fracas, but has admitted it was because he was still ruing spurning the chance to collect all three points. "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," he said.
"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. 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."
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The second fixture Van Nistelrooy refers to is where he finally got the last laugh, scoring a penalty as United ended Arsenal's unbeaten run the following season after 49 Premier League games without tasting defeat. Van Nistelrooy continued: "Years later, it is great to look back and have a laugh. But I always think my time in England was five years not two games.
"I was able to win fantastic titles with United. Those two games were part of a very famous period working under Sir Alex [Ferguson] and playing with so many fantastic players. I don't think I will get a good reception but that is good. It is part of the banter in football stadiums."
Keown has had his say on the heated penalty miss incident, and claimed Van Nistelrooy became a "figure of hate" in the Arsenal dressing room after Vieira's red card. "I didn’t feel I could trust Van Nistelrooy going into that game at Old Trafford in September 2003," he told the Daily Mail.
"He would collapse at the slightest touch in the box. Ray Parlour years later said that I started the Battle of Old Trafford. I didn’t! I maintain it started when Van Nistelrooy feigned injury, as if Patrick Vieira had kicked him."
He added: "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."
PSV have been going well under Van Nistelrooy's guidance since he took over the reins from Roger Schmidt in March. Like Arsenal, PSV are currently unbeaten in the group stage though dropped two points in a 1-1 draw with Bodo/Glimt - whom Arsenal edged out 1-0 last week.
Domestically PSV are also on the title hunt, sitting second a point behind leaders Ajax, while Arsenal still top the Premier League table by four points.
