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Jose Mourinho involved in sensational dressing room bust-up with Manchester City keeper Ederson

Pep Guardiola's assistant Mikel Arteta was left with blood streaming down his face at the end of the astonishing bust-up after the Manchester derby on Sunday.

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City manager Pep Guardiola (L) and his Manchester United counterpart Jose Mourinho at the end of their Premier League on Sunday
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The action between Manchester United and City went beyond the touchline with Jose Mourinho involved in an ugly fight after their Premier League match on Sunday, according to a report in The Guardian.

Around 20 players and staff members of both teams had to be separated near the dressing rooms after City defeated United 2-1 in a tense game at the Old Trafford. Pep Guardiola's assistant Mikel Arteta was left with blood streaming down his face at the end of the astonishing bust-up.

It all started with Mourinho getting involved in a heated argument with City's Brazilian goalkeeper Ederson at the end of the match. The duo started hurling abuses at each other in Portuguese after Mourinho initially complained of loud music blaring from City's dressing room. The United manager accused Ederson of play-acting to waste time, before yelling in English, "you fu***ng show respect. Who are you?”

Arteta had his eyebrow split in the scuffle that was reminiscent of a pub fight. United striker Romelu Lukaku was said to be prominently involved too.

 

According to the report, Mourinho himself was at the receiving end of a flying bottle hurled at him by someone from the City dressing room. United players were upset by the loud music playing, which according to them was provocative, and expected more respect for the losing team.

Two police officers, who are always present in the Old Trafford tunnel, eventually brought matters under control.

Speaking to the media later, Mourinho said he 'doesn't know' if Manchester United can pull back City's 11-point lead at the top of the table after his side's defeat on Sunday.

United's manager also took aim at the referee Michael Oliver over what he felt was a clear penalty for his team and, after pre-match comments about City players falling over easily, he noted their ability to use up time at the end of the game.

United need to produce an exceptional second half of the season and hope that City stumble but Mourinho hardly sounded bullish about denying Guardiola his first league title in England.

 

"It is a significant distance," Mourinho said of City's lead, before being asked if his team could make it up. "I don't know. I know we can win next Wednesday (against Bournemouth). Win or lose or draw, I know that we can win next Wednesday," he said. "We can work and fight for it. That is the only thing I say. Match after match and every match we are going to give everything, with our qualities, with our problems, that is what we do all the time."

But, not for the first time in his career, Mourinho focused his attention on a refereeing decision rather than his team's performance. The Portuguese coach believed Oliver should have awarded a penalty in the 79th minute when Ander Herrera went down in the box under pressure from City defender Nicolas Otamendi.

The referee instead booked Herrera for diving, leaving Mourinho fuming and claiming it was a repeat of last year when he felt United should have had a penalty in the derby.

"Exactly the same, you can speak about anything you want, you can bring any football theory, you can bring the stats, the ball possession, you can bring everything you want – but like last season it is a huge penalty in a crucial moment of the game," he said.

"But I have also to say that I feel sorry for Michael Oliver because I think he had a good game, I would say very good game, assistants the same. I think they came with the intention to make the perfect work which they almost did," he added.

 

Mourinho said he had not expected to lose to City without United's rivals scoring quality goals. "I think when you see Manchester City play, you expect Manchester City to score great goals not to score two disgraceful goals," he said. Both came from set pieces and were helped by defensive misfortune.

"They are the last goals you expect to concede against a quality team like Manchester City, two very bad goals.... with rebound(s). (They were) incredible lucky or unlucky, depending on (your) perspective," he said, before noting City's keeper Ederson had to make a double save in the late stages to secure the win.

"Yes, they had much more of the ball. Yes, they had that apparent control of the game but the biggest save is the double save of their goalkeeper and the biggest decision of the game is the unlucky decision of Michael (Oliver)."

(Inputs from Reuters)

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