On December 4, Reuters reported that Manchester City faced charges from the Football Association (FA) for failing to control their players during the thrilling 3-3 draw against Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League.
The incident unfolded late in the game when several City players confronted referee Simon Hooper. This occurred after Hooper initially signalled play to continue despite a foul on Erling Haaland in the build-up to a Jack Grealish goal-scoring opportunity. Hooper subsequently stopped play, prompting City players’ protests.
In response, the FA released a statement on Monday: “Manchester City have been charged with a breach of FA Rule E20.1 after their players surrounded the match official during the Premier League fixture against Tottenham Hotspur.”
The statement continued, “It’s alleged that, during the 94th minute of the fixture, the club failed to ensure their players do not behave in a way which is improper.”
City has been given until Thursday to respond to the charge. The draw with Spurs saw them slip to third in the standings, trailing leaders Arsenal by three points. Their upcoming match will see them face Aston Villa in an away fixture on Wednesday.
