MANCHESTER CITY’S dominant 4-1 win over Arsenal turned frantic at the final whistle as both sets of players came to blows.
A brace from Kevin de Bruyne was added to by strikes from John Stones and Erling Haaland as Pep Guardiola’s men cantered to victory over their title rivals at the Etihad.
9Erling Haaland stormed over to Ben White at full-timeCredit: BT Sport
9Haaland and White appeared to shout at each other
9Man City and Arsenal players aggressively squared up to one anotherCredit: BT Sport
9They were eventually separated at the end of the game
9Tempers boiled during the aftermath of the huge title clashCredit: BT Sport
And while the competitiveness of the clash failed to live up to the billing, it remained a fiery encounter throughout.
Arsenal fans called for Ruben Dias to be sent off at the end of the first half when he kicked out at Ben White – with Michael Oliver showing him a yellow card.
Jack Grealish and Thomas Partey came to blows in the second period when the Man City man nudged over the Arsenal midfielder.
The Ghanaian responded by storming into Grealish and pushing his hand into his face.
9Arsenal were raging after Ruben Dias kicked out at Ben White in the first halfCredit: BT Sport
9That ignited the first of three melees in the game
And those aggressive vibes continued at the final whistle when Haaland and White appeared to get involved in a confrontation.
Haaland was caught by the BT Sport cameras marching towards White.
As he approached the Arsenal man, he was kept a safe distance away by a host of red and blue shirts.
More players began to get involved in the melee as referee Oliver was forced to diffuse the situation.
9Thomas Partey and Jack Grealish also came to blows
9They were both booked for their altercationCredit: Rex
But the official avoided dismissing anyone as the situation eventually calmed down, with both teams walking off the pitch without any serious incident.
City’s 4-1 win moves them to within two points of Arsenal with two games in hand.
And it may well end up being the decisive blow in the title race come the end of the season.
City also maintained their push for the treble as they prepare for a Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid and FA Cup final against Manchester United.
source: thessun.co.uk
