Soup thrown at Ferguson

Reports this morning claim that Sir Alex Ferguson had soup and sandwiches thrown at him following the bitter 2-0 win over Arsenal at Old Trafford yesterday that ended the Gunners 49-match unbeaten league run.

The Daily Telegraph allege tomato soup was hurled at the Manchester United manager by an "opposition player" in a corridor off the main tunnel.

The alleged incident came after a controversial match in which Ruud van Nistelrooy put United ahead after Wayne Rooney won a controversial penalty when he was being brought down in the area by Sol Campbell.

Rooney himself celebrated his 19th birthday with the second goal.

The Times report that Ferguson was "spattered with soup, sandwiches and pizza by an Arsenal player" and had to change his suit before coming out for television interviews in a tracksuit.

They admit there was no video evidence of the alleged incident which would almost certainly leave the Football Association with a difficult decision if they were to follow up the claims.

The Daily Mail adds that there was a heated tunnel exchange between Ferguson and Arsene Wenger.

The paper claims Wenger said of the penalty incident: "Even Rooney himself was telling our players that nobody touched him."

And the Daily Mirror claim Ferguson was pelted by "pea soup" and that Thierry Henry was involved in a row with United keeper Roy Carroll.