Police to charge Arsenal's Vieira

Arsenal are facing a midfield crisis with their top two French stars.

While Emmanuel Petit remains injured Patrick Vieira could be hit with a long ban after he was sent off in a 2-1 defeat at West ham. Vieira also spat at West Ham defender Neil Ruddock before leaving the field and is to be charged by the Metropolitan Police with threatening behaviour for an alleged incident in the tunnel at the Upton Park ground in which he threw a punch at a police officer.

The French international received a second booking for a foul in the latter stages of the defeat on Paolo Di Canio.

He was booked earlier in the second half and advanced angrily towards match official Mike Reed when his path was blocked off by Ruddock. Arsenal team mates tried to pull the enraged Vieira away and he spat at Ruddock as they did so. The midfielder turned twice more to try and confront the referee and was also held back by Arsenal physio Gary Lewin before staling off down the tunnel where the incident with the policeman occurred.

Vieira had to be defended by manager Arsene Wenger at an FA disciplinary hearing last year after another clash with a policeman after a defeat at Sheffield Wednesday. On that occasion he escaped but could now face a long ban with the English FA likely to press charges of misconduct after the police reports and television pictures showed the spitting incident very clearly.

Wenger had to fight to keep the player at the London club last season after a spate of yellow and red cards for the player who said he felt victimised by English referees. This latest incident could spell the end for the player or else someone at Arsenal has to have serious think about the reactions shown by their players to decisions against them as a third defeat this season dents their title hopes. Wenger tried to defend his player after the game by saying that Di Canio dived and he did not see the further incidents which took place in front of the Arsenal bench.

Vieira will now join the French squad to try and save their Euro 2000 campaign with a home win against Iceland in Paris on Saturday and his disciplinary record for the national team is much better than his Arsenal catalogue of violence.