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Six Arsenal players charged by FA
LONDON, England -- The English Football Association (FA) have charged Arsenal and six of their players following the chaotic scenes at the end of Sunday's 0-0 draw with Manchester United at Old Trafford. Patrick Vieira, Martin Keown, Ashley Cole, Lauren, Ray Parlour and Jens Lehmann all face individual charges that could lead to suspensions. United pair Ryan Giggs and Cristiano Ronaldo have also been charged. Arsenal have been charged with misconduct for failing to ensure the proper behavior of their players while Keown, Lauren and Parlour, who confronted and pushed United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy after his last-minute penalty miss, face charges of violent behavior. The other Arsenal players face the lesser charge of improper conduct, the same charge faced by Giggs and Ronaldo. Another United player -- defender Phil Neville -- was warned about his future conduct. The trouble started following Arsenal midfielder Patrick Vieira's dismissal for lashing out at van Nistelrooy late in the game and continued after the final whistle. Vieira was charged for failing to leave the pitch immediately following the red card. Arsenal have had 52 red cards since French coach Arsene Wenger took charge in 1996. Vieira has collected eight of those. Both clubs have 14 days to appeal the charges. In a statement, Arsenal said: "The board is taking this matter seriously and intends to meet in the near future to further discuss the events of last Sunday. "At this juncture, we do not have the video evidence supplied to the Football Association and are not going to jump to any premature conclusions. "The club demands high standards both on and off the field and the board believes these were not met last Sunday. "Arsene Wenger has already addressed the players on this issue." United said: "We have received the details of the charges from the FA and we are currently reviewing them internally with our lawyers, the manager and the players involved. "Until that review is completed, the club will be making no further comment."
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