Arsenal handed record fine and four bans

Arsenal were yesterday fined a record £175,000 by the Football Association for failing to control their players in their 0-0 draw against Manchester United at Old Trafford on 21 September. As a result of individual transgressions, four players - Lauren, Martin Keown, Patrick Vieira and Ray Parlour - received bans, for four, three, one and one matches respectively. That quartet were also fined, as was Ashley Cole, who escaped a ban. Arsenal were also reprimanded and warned about their future conduct.

The £175,000 fine was the second-largest financial penalty ever handed to a club in England after the £1.5m that Tottenham were fined in 1994 for financial irregularities. But it was a record fine for a club for failing to control its players, eclipsing the £150,000 that Spurs and Leeds were each fined for an 18-man brawl in a Premiership match in February 2000.

Lauren's ban, accompanied by a £40,000 fine, was for violent behaviour - for pushing Ruud Van Nistelrooy following the final whistle, for improper conduct for confronting Van Nistelrooy and for kicking out at Quinton Fortune. Keown's ban, which came with a £20,000 fine, was for violent behaviour towards Van Nistelrooy. Parlour, who received a £10,000 fine, had been guilty of confrontations with Van Nistelrooy and Gary Neville after the final whistle. Vieira, who was also fined £20,000, was guilty of improper conduct in failing to leave the pitch after being sent off. Cole's fine was for improper conduct for confronting Cristiano Ronaldo at full time. The players had all admitted the charges.

Though yesterday's list of punishments looks daunting, the timing of the bans, which are all due to take effect from 17 November, could have been worse. The four matches scheduled for the period of the longest ban - Lauren's - are at Birmingham in the Premiership on 22 November, at home to Fulham on 29 November, at home to Wolves in the Carling Cup on 2 December and away at Leicester on 6 December.

Clearly the match against the in-form Birmingham will be the toughest assignment, with Vieira, Lauren, Parlour and Keown all banned. But thereafter, only Lauren and Keown (who has only made three League starts this season anyway) will miss the games against Fulham and Wolves, and only Lauren will be banned for the trip to struggling Leicester. If this week's Carling Cup match against Rotherham was any indicator, Wenger would not have been planning to use any of the banned players against Wolves anyway.

Wenger's biggest problem in covering for the banned players will be how to replace Lauren, who has started every League match this season. But even that could be a cloud with a silver lining if he decides to recall Moritz Volz from his loan at Fulham to deputise at right-back. Not only has Volz had a decent season in west London, suggesting he would be able to offer adequate cover, but if Wenger recalls him then Fulham will be without his services when the sides meet on 29 November. Arsenal said last night that no decision has yet been made about recalling the German but that it was a possibility.

Wenger's alternative, less attractive, options include handing the right-back slot to either Justin Hoyte, who played there against Rotherham, or Stathis Tavlaridis, who is nominally a centre-back but can also play on the right.

Arsenal responded to yesterday's punishments with a statement saying the club "would once again like to apologise for the conduct of its players". The statement added: "Arsenal requires its players to behave properly at all times, both on and off the field. The club accepts that what occurred during and immediately after the match on 21 September fell well below the required standard. Arsène Wenger strives to ensure that his players do not cross the line which divides committed play from improper or violent conduct. The players are... reminded that their triumphs have come when they have not allowed themselves to be distracted from the game."

The statement said Arsenal are considering whether to appeal. However, appeals would probably see the bans delayed, which might not be advantageous. United's Ronaldo and Ryan Giggs, who plan to contest charges of misconduct arising from the same game, await their hearings.

THE PENALTIES

Arsenal FC: £175,000 fine; reprimanded and warned about future conduct.

Lauren: Four-match ban, £40,000 fine.

Martin Keown: Three-match ban, £20,000 fine.

Patrick Vieira: One-match ban, £20,000 fine.

Ray Parlour: One-match ban, £10,000 fine.

Ashley Cole: Fined £10,000 and warned about future conduct.

Bans take effect from Monday 17 November