Jose and Ederson squared up in row
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’. City thought Jose Mourinho had encroached on their territory as he approached their dressing room to protest.
United’s manager had water squirted at him, was doused in milk and was hit on the head by an empty plastic bottle.
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.
Mourinho had demanded City players show ‘more respect’ as music blared out of their dressing room. 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 to the neighbours, had overstepped the boundaries by entering their dressing room to voice his discontent and was followed by his United players.
Witnesses said some players attempted to swing punches at each other as police, already present outside the referees’ room, looked on in disbelief.
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’. As tempers were eventually calmed, police remained outside the dressing rooms.
Angry Mourinho also claimed that City are given preferential treatment by referees, while branding his own side’s defending ‘disgraceful’.
In comments which irked City boss Pep Guardiola, the United boss insisted the league leaders were fortunate to seal a record 14th consecutive win — stretching their lead in the table to 11 points.
Mourinho was adamant Michael 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 pos- session, everything you want 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 of the game but the biggest save is the double save of Ederson.’
Guardiola was exasperated to hear that and 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.’ Additional reporting: Jack Gaughan