Manchester City players arrive for training after derby
Mikel Arteta was today pictured covering his cut face after being left with blood streaming down his face in the Manchester derby tunnel brawl.
Manchester City's coach suffered a cut head on Sunday after having a bottle thrown at him by a Manchester United player, believed to be Romelu Lukaku.
Arteta was back at the Manchester City training ground this morning with the rest of Pep Guardiola's players, including goalkeeper Ederson who was at the centre of a row with United boss Jose Mourinho that sparked a 20-man bust-up.
Mikel Arteta (right) covered his face as he arrived for training after the bust-up in the tunnel and was sat alongside fellow coach Lorenzo Buenaventura
The Manchester City coach was struck in the fracas against Manchester United
Ederson was involved in a heated confrontation with Jose Mourinho after the 2-1 win
Arteta was sitting in the driver's seat of a Chevrolet alongside fellow coach Lorenzo Buenaventura, with the Spaniard clearly determined to cover his face.
He lifted a hand above his eyes where the bottle struck him after the bad blood between the fierce rivals became real.
Spanish radio station Cadena SER have claimed that Arteta's injury was caused by a bottle thrown by United striker Romelu Lukaku.
Ederson pulled up to training in his red Ferrari and was in the thick of the scrap after full time at Old Trafford hours earlier.
The Brazilian engaged in a heated confrontation with Mourinho after the United boss objected to City's celebrations which he deemed disrespectful and over-zealous.
Mourinho demanded City players show ‘more respect’ as music blared out of their dressing room following their 2-1 victory.
The United manager and Ederson yelled at one another in Portuguese and the altercation escalated into a huge confrontation with players and staff piling in.
United players believe it was the City goalkeeper who
Witnesses said some players tried to swing punches while police looked on in disbelief.
David Silva was among the City players to report for duty following the derby day win
Elaquiem Mangala drove his Mercedes into Manchester City's training base
City feel Mourinho overstepped the boundaries by entering their dressing room.
Twenty players and staff were involved in the tunnel melee which will be dubbed the new Water-gate at the end of a crackling Manchester derby.
Eyewitnesses were staggered at the eruption that followed the final whistle. United believed City had celebrated too much following their 2-1 win and showed a ‘lack of respect’.
United’s manager had water squirted at him, was doused in milk and was hit on the head by an empty plastic bottle.
Kevin de Bruyne was instrumental in extending City's lead over United to 11 points
Gabriel Jesus drove in his white Mercedes on a dark morning in Manchester
Nicolas Otamendi scored in his side's victory over United to help them secure a crucial win
The Football Association can ask for CCTV footage of the melee and are not bound by Michael Oliver’s official report if they seek to take action against either club.
As Sportsmail revealed last Wednesday, United had refused Amazon Prime documentary makers access to the tunnel area at Old Trafford.
The crew are following City throughout the season for a fly-on-the-wall style documentary and would have captured the melee had they been granted access.
The FA has sought observations from both clubs in relation to the incident and both clubs have until Wednesday to respond.
The match referee did not witness anything, therefore, no report received on the matter.
CCTV shots of the scene can be requested from United after Mourinho walked into the boisterous City dressing room to demand ‘more respect’.
It might not have been Pizzagate from 2004, when United and Arsenal players scrapped and Sir Alex Ferguson was hit on the head by a slice thrown by Cesc Fabregas — but it wasn’t far off.
City goalkeeper Ederson confronted the Manchester United manager in the tunnel
Tempers flared on the pitch as Pep Guardiola's City managed a 2-1 win at Old Trafford
The United boss was heading from his own players’ dressing room to do his post-match press conference when he walked into City’s domain to make his feelings known and was confronted by City goalkeeper Ederson.
The two were involved in a heated exchange and squared up, shouting at each other in Portuguese.
United’s players were enraged by the perceived gloating of City players and followed Mourinho into the corridor area between the dressing rooms, which sparked the skirmishes between players.
City, for their part, believed Mourinho, sore at losing, had overstepped the boundaries by entering their dressing room to voice his discontent and he was followed by his United players.
Old Trafford security staff were forced to disperse the rumpus as United players blamed their City counterparts for ‘rubbing their noses in defeat’ by ‘whooping and cheering’. When tempers cooled, police remained outside the dressing rooms.
Leroy Sane shared a picture of the Manchester City players celebrating in the changing room
Mourinho’s anger was also fired by what he claimed was City receiving preferential treatment by referees, while he branded his own side’s defending ‘disgraceful’.
In comments which irked City boss Guardiola, Mourinho insisted the league leaders were fortunate to seal a record 14th consecutive win — stretching their lead in the table to 11 points.
GRAHAM POLL'S VERDICT... WHAT REF SAYS WILL BE KEY What a shame that after an absorbing derby we are looking at an off-the-field incident. Michael Oliver, who refereed a tough game very well, will now have extra paperwork to do, whether or not he witnessed the alleged incident. If he did see it, then his jurisdiction continues after the final whistle, so he can report misconduct in the same way as if it occurred on the field. Any violent conduct by players or substitutes will be reported as red cards and attract similar punishments. If, as alleged, Jose Mourinho was involved, one can’t help thinking the Manchester United manager will be delighted if the attention turns to this incident rather than City dominating at Old Trafford and taking a big lead in the title race.
Mourinho was adamant Oliver’s refusal to award a 79th-minute penalty after Ander Herrera went down under Nicolas Otamendi’s challenge was wrong. Herrera was booked for diving.
‘They are lucky, I think they have all these decisions in their favour,’ said Mourinho, who had accused City of being divers in the run-up to the game.
‘We can speak about anything you want, we can bring any football theory, stats, ball possession, but like last season it is a huge penalty in a crucial moment.
‘You expect City to score great goals, not to score two disgraceful goals. They had apparent control but the biggest save is the double save of Ederson.’
But Guardiola recalled similar jibes after last year’s 2-1 win here. ‘It was the same,’ he sighed. ‘But we won because we were better. In all departments we were better. I don’t know the plan from my opponent but we came here to try to win.
‘We did the same at Stamford Bridge. I am happy because so many people say you cannot win in England playing like this. It’s still only December. If we have an 11-point lead when we play the derby in April then maybe I will tell you we have the title.’
United could also face action after a flare landed near City midfielder Bernardo Silva during the second half.