Manchester City players were subjected to a dangerous fan incident at the DW Stadium after their shock FA Cup defeat to Wigan Athletic. Supporters threw cups and other objects onto the pitch, with some ripping up advertising hoardings and hurling them towards stewards and police. The scenes evoked memories of terrace hooliganism from decades past.
Sergio Agüero was involved in an unsavoury scuffle with home fans during a pitch invasion at the final whistle, with punches reportedly thrown. City are understood to be considering a formal complaint over their players being placed in danger, while Wigan face likely FA charges for failing to control their supporters.
The match itself saw Wigan produce a doughty defensive performance to knock City out of the FA Cup for the third time in six years. Fabian Delph was sent off on the stroke of half-time, a decision both managers agreed was correct despite Guardiola's initial anger. Wigan manager Paul Cook praised his team's resilience, saying: 'We dug in, worked hard and some of the blocks we made were tremendous.'
Wigan chairman David Sharpe condemned the post-match scenes, stating: 'We have to stay classy in football. I didn't like what I was seeing there at the end of the game.' Guardiola refused to blame the red card for the defeat, noting: 'We created more than enough chances to go through but in the end the result speaks for itself.'
