Lehmann's history lesson

After a 2-1 defeat at Liverpool in November, Lehmann lost his place in the team to Spaniard Manuel Almunia and manager Arsene Wenger kept the German on the sidelines for 11 games. Lehmann said: "Why did he drop me? I don't care to be honest. I would be bothered too much. It happened - and at a big club sometimes it happens because ambitions are so high. Maybe it happened for something good, you never know.

"I think I have conceded even fewer goals than during the fantastic season when we were unbeaten. I came back very fresh.

"The boss took me out of the team because he said I wasn't looking that fresh and all I can say is that I am now in very, very good physical shape. Now I want to maintain it."

Lehmann also revealed that during his exile he changed his training schedule on the advice of Arsenal goalkeeping coach Gerry Peyton and fitness coach Tony Colbert.

"I reduced the training level because of the freshness," he said. "When you are not fresh, you have to do a little bit less. There was always a lot of expectations of me and that is why I couldn't afford to let myself down.

"I had to work hard because there is a trophy to win with Arsenal and it is important to me to play in the German national team. So sulking would have been the wrong way."

Lehmann's absence from the side came as Arsenal tried to come to terms with their mid-season slump, which was triggered by their 2-0 defeat away to Manchester United in October.

That match signalled the end of their 49-game unbeaten league run and Lehmann said: "I was part of the team that lost and everybody went down after that. We needed time to recover from it. But now we are in good shape."

The goalkeeping turmoil at Old Trafford has been even more intense than that at Highbury with Roy Carroll and Tim Howard both being criticised this season.

And as a fully-paid up member of the goalkeepers' union, Lehmann has sympathy with his opposite numbers at Old Trafford, and with Howard in particular.

The American came to AC Milan for training while Lehmann was there in 1998 and the pair met up again ahead of the Community Shield.

"We are not close friends but I know him," said Lehmann. "It is the same as here. When you play for such an ambitious club you have to fulfil expectations and sometimes that is very hard. I hope things will turn out for Tim. He is an explosive keeper, still very young to play for such a big club. But I think he can cope with it."

Whenever a foreigner comes to the Premiership, it takes time for them to adjust.

Strikers have to realise that hard physical contact does not guarantee a free-kick and midfielders are surprised when they are actually given licence to tackle.

From a goalkeeping point of view, Lehmann believes that in this country the men between the posts don't get enough protection from referees.

"The way of the game here is different to Europe," he said. "Sometimes you see the same referee in a European match whistling for attacks on the goalkeepers but he doesn't do it here."

THE BIG CLASHES

September 2003 (Old Trafford)
Arsenal players are incensed after Patrick Vieira is sent-off after an incident with Ruud van Nistelrooy. The Holland striker has a chance to break the deadlock from the penalty spot in the last minute but misses, and the visitors taunt the striker amid ugly scenes led by Martin Keown. Football Association charges follow.

October 2004 (Old Trafford)
United end Arsenal's unbeaten run of 49 Premiership matches with a 2-0 victory. Van Nistelrooy escapes a red card after a crude foul on Ashley Cole, then scores a penalty after Sol Campbell is harshly penalised for a foul on Wayne Rooney. Later, food is reportedly thrown in the tunnel. Wenger is charged by the FA for comments about van Nistelrooy.

December 2004 (Old Trafford)
Sir Alex Ferguson calls for Robin van Persie to be charged by the FA after the Arsenal forward appeared to elbow Kieran Richardson. The FA do not take action as the referee dealt with the incident on the pitch. United win 1-0 after an early goal from David Bellion.

February 2005 (Highbury)
United win convincingly after a curious incident in the tunnel before kick-off when skipper Roy Keane confronts Patrick Vieira. Keane later accuses Vieira of taunting full-back Gary Neville. Keane's defiance inspires his team-mates and they win 4-2 after going into half-time 2-1 behind.