The man who threw pizza in Sir Alex Ferguson's face

The mystery surrounding Pizzagate has finally been solved.

Former Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas has admitted once and for all it was he who threw pizza into the face of legendary Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson in October 2004, the match which became known as the Battle of the Buffet.

An infamous tunnel brawl between Arsenal and United players at Old Trafford followed a controversial 2-0 win for the hosts, which ended the Gunners' historic 49-match unbeaten run, Wayne Rooney having been awarded a contentious penalty.

Players from both sides were scrapping after the match before Ferguson was left with pizza all over him after a member of the away dressing room threw it in his direction.

Fabregas, now of Chelsea, had previously been the rumoured culprit after a hint from former team-mate Martin Keown, but has finally confirmed his guilt 13 years after the game, although he insists he had not meant to hit Ferguson.

Asked to confirm he threw the pizza on Sky's 'A League of Their Own', Fabregas said: "Yes!

"Martin Keown is a liar because I saw him in front of me just, like, punching people so he didn't see anything.

"All of a sudden, I heard noises and I thought what's happening? 

"So I go out with my slice of pizza and I saw Sol Campbell, Rio Ferdinand, Martin Keown - everyone pushing each other.

"I was like I want to get in but I don't know how to and I threw – peeew -  just threw it. 

"Once I saw it was hitting, like, who it was hitting, which I didn't mean… I apologise Sir Alex, really didn't mean to do that!"

Fabregas then gestured to confirm the pizza had hit Ferguson on the side of his face.

Tensions were extremely high between Arsenal and United at that time. The previous year Ruud van Nistelrooy's last-gasp penalty miss led to him being angrily surrounded by Gunners players, prompting an on-field scuffle.

Ferguson himself had written about the incident in his autobiography. After detailing a head-to-head confrontation with Arsene Wenger, he wrote: "The next thing I knew I had pizza all over me. We put food into the away dressing room after every game. Pizza, chicken. Most clubs do it. Arsenal's food was the best. 

"They say it was Cesc Fabregas who threw the pizza at me but to this day, I have no idea who the culprit was."

Now he knows.