FA to probe claims Man City players threw milk at Jose Mourinho

Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho share an embrace - sort of - at the end of Manchester City's 2-1 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford. Picture: Martin Rickett/PA

United manager Jose Mourinho and City goalkeeper Ederson are reported to have had a confrontation and traded insults in Portuguese after Sunday afternoon’s game, while it is claimed Mourinho had milk and water thrown at him from the away dressing-room.

The home side are understood to have taken exception to City’s post-match celebrations and an altercation – involving up to 20 players and staff in the crowded corridor leading to the dressing rooms and apparently requiring police intervention – is believed to have left City coach Mikel Arteta, the former Rangers, Arsenal and Everton midfielder, with a head wound.

It was reported last night that Mourinho shouted “show some respect” to the City players as loud music blared out from the away dressing-room.

Soon after the match Leroy Sane, the City attacker, tweeted a picture from the changing-room which showed the squad huddled together in celebration, with someone even having thrown some tickertape into the air.

Referee Michael Oliver did not witness the scenes, so the FA has not received a report on the matter from him.

The incidents occurred after a fiery end to the much-anticipated Premier League clash.

An already feverish atmosphere threatened to boil over on the pitch in the closing minutes when United midfielder Ander Herrera was booked for diving in the box after a tackle by City defender Nicolas  Otamendi.

“It is a huge penalty in a crucial moment of the game,” said Mourinho afterwards, insisting that Oliver should have pointed to the spot.

Most neutral pundits, however, agreed with the referee’s decision to punish Herrera.

City won the match with goals from David Silva and Otamendi, with Marcus  Rashford replying for United. The victory was City’s 14th in succession in the Premier League and extended their lead at the top of the table to  11 points.

Mourinho conceded at full-time that City’s advantage  in the title race was now at a “significant distance”.

Asked if it could be clawed back, he said: “I don’t know. We are going to work and fight for it. That is the only thing I say.”

Having no time for Mourinho’s moans over the Herrera “penalty” incident, City manager Pep Guardiola said: “We won because we were better, in all departments.”

Neither club has commented on what happened after the match yet.

Given that witnesses say some players were trying  to swing punches during  the melee down the tunnel as Old Trafford security staff rushed in to break things up, it is perhaps ironic that Herrera later told reporters that the derby defeat had felt like a “big punch”.

The eye-watering 11-point gap at the top of the table means the Red Devils are 16-1 with some bookmakers to win the title after just 16 matches.

“It’s hard to lose the way we did because we have lost with two unlucky goals,” midfielder Herrera said. It is a big punch because of the way we lost.

“When you play against City you can expect to have problems when they have the ball, but we didn’t have too many problems when they had the ball, that’s why we feel even more disappointed.

“It’s a real pity to lose the way we did. It was very unlucky. the first goal the rebound went to Silva and the second Romelu [Lukaku]’s clearance kicked the back of Chris [Smalling].

“It is very disappointing to lose the way did. The only thing we can think now is we are still second, we want to keep chasing them.”