Although Vieira didn't connect with his kick, it's hard to argue that his action was unintentional. Having been booked for tripping Quinton Fortune four minutes earlier, Bennett considered he had no option but to flourish the red card.
This, of course, was the referee who sent off Francis Jeffers in the FA Community Shield clash with United and, in view of the catalogue of incidents that have marred this fixture in recent seasons, it would have been wiser to select another official for this match.
Sol Campbell, remember, has been charged with violent conduct in that match in Cardiff and could face a three-game ban.
As Campbell was also sent off against United at Highbury in April, for an incident involving Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Vieira yesterday became the third Arsenal player to be dismissed playing against the champions in the past three games.
"Why are we always the devils playing against the angels?" asked Wenger wryly.
The Arsenal manager is often accused of adopting a one-eyed attitude to all unsavoury incidents involving his players, but although he's frequently blinded by his loyalty to them, he was fully justified in defending Vieira yesterday.
But he will find it harder to defend the unruly behaviour of his jubilant players at the end of the game if, as seems certain, the Football Association decide to investigate the incidents and impose a strong punishment on the Gunners.
What was so apparent yesterday was that the undercurrent of ill feeling between these two clubs - you can trace it back to George Graham's Championship-winning days - was never far from the surface.
The players of both teams showed remarkable discipline and restraint - Roy Keane was the only player cautioned in the first 53 minutes - in a game that unfolded as a tactical battle of wits.
Wenger fielded a tight, defensive team, omitting Robert Pires from the starting line-up, and, although they created very little, they gave United few chances to score. The tackling was crisp but there was little to trouble the referee.
Keown and Kolo Toure formed a resilient partnership in the heart of the defence and between them they shackled van Nistelrooy and pushed Ryan Giggs into such a deep position that he was rarely effective.
Parlour, too, pursued every lost cause and demonstrated a level of diligence that was absent in the Champions League in midweek.
"I think my team deserves a lot of credit for responding in the way they did after the disappointment against Inter," said Wenger.
United manager Sir Alex Ferguson said: "Arsenal got what they came for but I felt it was an opportunity lost for us."
They nearly snatched all three points in injury time when Keown was judged to have pulled down substitute Diego Forlan in the box.
Van Nistelrooy, who had missed his previous two penalties - including one against Arsenal in the Community Shield shootout - clearly wanted to take no chances this time. He drove the ball as hard as he could and watched in disbelief as it bounced off the bar.
So, Arsenal survived and claimed the point that took them back to the top of the Premiership. It was a moral victory and, in the context of the Championship race, a psychological victory. It's just a shame they couldn't enjoy the moment - and behave with dignity.
