Mikel Arteta was left bleeding after being struck by a plastic bottle during a heated dressing room altercation that followed a Premier League derby. Before leading Arsenal to Premier League titles, Arteta served as Pep Guardiola's assistant at Manchester City, and he was in the dugout for a fiery Manchester derby during the 2017/18 season.
Guardiola and Jose Mourinho renewed their rivalry as the pair came to blows in the dressing room. City were flying high at the summit of the table and hammered home their dominance with a 2-1 win over United. Their post-match festivities, which featured ticker tape and booming music, left Mourinho furious.
Brawl erupts after derby celebrations
Mourinho allegedly voiced his displeasure, sparking a heated response from City players, including goalkeeper Ederson. Yet it was Arteta who became embroiled in the mayhem, reports the Mirror. Mourinho was said to have been doused with water following his call for City's squad to display greater respect.
A milk carton was also hurled towards the Portuguese coach, narrowly missing its target but striking another United staff member. Arteta was hit by a plastic bottle during the melee, leaving the City coach with blood streaming from a wound. The perpetrator's identity was never established, though matters did not seem to worsen beyond that point. Contemporary reports suggested tensions swiftly subsided, with players soon conversing normally among themselves.
Mourinho and Guardiola respond
Mourinho was measured in his post-match press conference remarks, drawing comparisons between City's conduct and United's behaviour following their victory at Arsenal the week before. "What we did in the Arsenal stadium, you know? It was completely diverse [to City's conduct]," he said. "What we did, what happened after that match, the way we behaved as winners."
Guardiola also spoke about the incident, stating: "What happened in the locker room happened. Hopefully it is never going to happen again. If we were not correct then I apologise to Manchester United. But our intention was not that – it was to celebrate inside the locker room and if people cannot understand that, I'm sorry, we won a derby." He added: "If we offended United then I apologise but sometimes United have made a lot of celebrations in the past over City." Guardiola also revealed he was the one who encouraged the players to celebrate.
City's season unaffected
The controversy surrounding the match did not derail City's blistering start to the campaign. They triumphed in their following four league fixtures, netting 13 goals along the way, during what would become a Premier League record-breaking 100-point season.
