O'Leary accused by angry Pires

Robert Pires was involved in an angry confrontation with Leeds manager David O'Leary after Arsenal's 1-0 defeat in a stormy match at Elland Road.

Arsenal had seven players booked and may face a Football Association investigation over comments made to referee Dermot Gallagher.

But Pires accused O'Leary, a former Arsenal favourite, of trying to provoke further trouble.

The French international midfielder said that O'Leary was blowing kisses to him during the game after a touchline challenge on Lee Bowyer.

Pires felt so incensed that he attempted to see O'Leary in the tunnel after the ill-tempered match but was restrained by his teammates and ushered into the dressing room.

Then, as he left to board the team coach, Pires saw O'Leary again and attempted to have a face-to-face showdown.

Clearly still angered by what he regarded as untoward behaviour by an opposing manager, Pires tried on two further occasions to see the Irishman. But Arsenal striker Thierry Henry blocked his way back into the corridor and Pires, still seething and in a highly-emotional state, was eventually persuaded to take his place with the rest of the squad on the coach.

Arsenal, who will be handed an automatic £25,000 fine for having so many players yellow-carded, could be in more hot water with the FA if Gallagher reports comments made to him at the end by Arsene Wenger and his players.

The Arsenal manager is already appealing against one touchline ban following a clash with the fourth official at Sunderland in the first week of the season.

After yesterday's game, Gallagher was bombarded by angry comments as the players came into the tunnel. They were upset that only one Leeds player was cautioned and that only two minutes of injury time had been played.

One player said to the referee: "Everyone is entitled to a bad day. You have just had yours."

Patrick Vieira, who returned after a two-game absence through injury, could also be in trouble after television showed a head-to-head clash with Leeds's Norwegian midfield player Eirik Bakke and, in a separate incident, the Arsenal man appearing to kick Olivier Dacourt. Arsenal's frustration was increased by the loss of three points that leaves them eight points behind Manchester United.

Wenger said: "At the moment Manchester United are winning everything. It is a shame for the league but not, of course, for United. But if in November they are already eight points in front there is a danger that the country will lose interest.

"I am not conceding the title but you have to be realistic. Before you can think of the title you have to win games and we are not winning. It is too early to concede the title."

Last season, Sir Alex Ferguson's side triumphed by a record margin of 18 points, but this time around they were still neck-and-neck with Arsenal until as recently as the start of this month.

However, the Gunners have failed to win any of their three domestic or two European games since then, while United have posted five wins.