Chelsea chairman Ken Bates has launched an attack on Arsenal's disciplinary record, accusing Patrick Vieira of elbowing Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink in the face.
There is little love lost between Bates and Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein, and the Chelsea supremo was typically outspoken in his condemnation of the north London club.
Bates declared: "In the 1930s, Arsenal were the club by which all others were judged in sportsmanship both on and off the field. Now they are just another team.
"And in the 1949-50 season, when I played for their then nursery club, Chase of Chertsey, the last thing that the 17-year-olds were told before leaving the dressing-room was 'remember you are representing the Arsenal'."
The Chelsea chairman's attack comes in the wake of his club's Boxing Day defeat at Arsenal, with Vieira having been pictured afterwards with his elbow directed towards Hasselbaink's face.
The incident was missed by the match officials but could yet be investigated by the Football Association's video advisory panel, even though Vieira is understood to maintain it was merely an accident.
However, Bates wrote in his programme notes for today's game against Southampton: "Vieira gave Jimmy Hasselbaink another of his famous elbows in the face, unnoticed by the referee but thankfully caught on video."
PA