The pair shook palms on the touchline on the King Power Stadium on Saturday forward of Leicester’s Premier League match towards Arsenal, and TNT Sports pundit Keown apologised to Foxes supervisor Van Nistelrooy for the “shenanigans” of 2003.

Keown and Van Nistelrooy got here to blows throughout a memorable encounter between the Gunners and Manchester United 22 years in the past dubbed “Battle of Outdated Trafford”.

Ruud van Nistelrooy has supplied an replace on James Justin, who was compelled to come back off within the first half by way of harm.

“It was an unlucky second to take him off earlier than half-time,” he stated. “He could not proceed so it is positively one thing.

“We have now to evaluate and he could not keep it up. Hopefully it is nothing unhealthy.

“It is ups and downs. If you find yourself a promoted crew and combating for the underside locations, it’s important to cope with dropping video games but it surely’s a matter of preserving working. I imagine the outcomes will come someday.”

“I feel we did properly for 80 minutes to take a end result as we speak however you can’t lose focus towards these groups,” Bilal El Khannouss instructed Sky Sports activities. “It’s simple for Merino to go it in. We have now to do higher in these conditions.

“We had been combating all collectively as a crew. We all know we’ve to struggle for every ball and it is what we did for 80 minutes. It is exhausting to take.

“Whenever you defend like that, you at all times know one thing will fall on the different facet. We had some alternatives however we did not take them. It is a exhausting struggle however we performed a variety of good video games already that we did not take leads to.”

Mikel Merino may need been Arsenal’s saviour as we speak along with his late brace, however there however stays a robust case that teenager Ethan Nwaneri was as we speak’s man of the match.

Rattling the woodwork twice, Nwaneri was Arsenal’s most important supply of attacking impetus all through the competition – one thing the Gunners had been severely missing earlier than Merino’s introduction.

“He’s an incredible participant,” Merino stated on Nwaneri, who arrange his first objective. “Each time I do an interview you guys ask me about him.

“We have now to maintain the foot on the gasoline and if we maintain doing this job then good issues will come sooner or later.”

Mikel Merino has revealed that as we speak was the primary time he has ever been operated as a striker in his profession – a job he has seemingly taken to with ease.

“He [Mikel Arteta] instructed me to come back in as a striker this morning,” he instructed TNT Sports activities post-match. “We had been speaking about it a little bit bit with one of many assistants. It’s the first time in my profession that I’ve performed that place.

“He instructed me to go together with my strengths and fortunately I may assist the crew with two targets as we speak.”

Nonetheless, the Spaniard doesn’t anticipate Arteta to start out him usually up high, regardless of his game-changing show.

“I do not assume so to be trustworthy,” he added. “It’s the first time I’ve scored a brace coming off the bench as a striker.

“I forgot to present my spouse one thing for Valentine’s Day so this goes to her. I feel she’s going to respect this greater than a rose and a few chocolate.

“As we speak was a troublesome sport. However I feel these video games are those you want the spirit. Video games like as we speak are actually good for the squad.”

We’ve nonetheless received a variety of Premier League motion to sink our enamel into this afternoon – and over on the Etihad Stadium, 3pm kick-offs don’t get a lot better than this.

Metropolis go into the sport one place increased than the Magpies within the desk, although either side are degree on factors and objective distinction, with Metropolis forward on targets scored. Three factors on the Etihad would give both membership a bonus within the race for Europe, with Pep Guardiola’s facet in search of a direct response to a disappointing 3-2 loss to Real Madrid within the Champions League play-offs.

Eddie Howe’s Magpies are in buoyant temper after reaching the Carabao Cup closing earlier this month, they usually’ll be seeking to leapfrog Metropolis with either side coping with accidents to very important gamers.

Comply with all of the motion from Man Metropolis v Newcastle under.

An impressed substitution proved the distinction for Mikel Arteta as Arsenal seal a significant three factors at Leicester.

After an uneventful first-half, issues didn’t appear to be they had been going to go for the injury-stricken Gunners, as Ethan Nwaneri rattled the woodwork twice after the break.

Nonetheless, a late double from midfielder turned quantity 9 Mikel Merino guided Arsenal to victory on the King Energy Stadium.

90+4 minutes: David Raya makes a great catch to gather a Leicester nook and dispel any risk to his clear sheet. That needs to be it.

90+1 minutes: Mikel Merino is in search of a hat-trick and fires an effort from exterior the field, but it surely’s straight into the grasp of Hermansen.

The away finish is in full voice because the King Energy turns right into a sea of blue seats.