Probe as fans throw seats and flares
MANCHESTER CITY said they would look into footage of the crowd disorder that marred last night’s Carabao Cup semi-final derby against Manchester United.
Just 24 hours after United chief Ed Woodward’s Cheshire house was attacked by hooded thugs, more trouble erupted as a group of United fans tore up seats and hurled them towards City’s supporters. The home fans threw them back and were also caught on video taunting their rivals over the Munich air disaster. A red smoke canister appeared to be thrown into the home section after Nemanja Matic’s first-half strike, too.
United won the match but City progressed to the final, where they will meet Aston
Villa on March 1. City will look at CCTV to try and identify those supporters responsible. Manager Pep Guardiola said: ‘I don’t like it. I didn’t know it but if that happened it’s not nice.
‘I didn’t like what happened with Ed Woodward. This is football. I’m sure you see the United squad it’s really good. That’s not the way to do it.’
A young pitch invader also had to be ushered away towards the end by City goalkeeper Claudio Bravo and a steward after making his way on to the playing surface.
United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who said before the game that United were ‘disgusted’ by the actions of their so-called fans towards Woodward, backed Guardiola’s comments.
‘ I’ve just got to stand behind Pep,’ he said. ‘Football is a game we should all enjoy, spectators and the ones playing.
‘I keep telling the players to go out with a big smile and enjoy yourselves, and fans should enjoy the games. We want rivalry but keep it at a sane level. Let’s make sure we eradicate that now. We all stand behind Pep. We want to make this a nice game.’
On the pitch, United inflicted City’s first Carabao Cup defeat in 17 games and 1,190 days — stretching back to a win over their rivals in October 2016.
But City won 3-2 on aggregate thanks to their 3-1 win in the first leg at Old Trafford earlier this month.
The holders had goals from Raheem Sterling and Sergio Aguero ruled out for offside. However, Solskjaer was unhappy over Matic’s sending- off after he was shown a second yellow card by referee Kevin Friend for a foul on Ilkay Gundogan.
‘For me, it’s a joke. Never a sending-off,’ he said. ‘It’s hard to come here and score a goal with 11 players never mind 10.
‘The first one’s not a yellow, he’s unlucky and I disagree with that decision. It’s ironic, the first time he makes a foul he gets a yellow. How many times did they foul us? How many times was Dan James fouled? But that’s the ref’s decision because he was man of the match today.’