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Football

16th Aug 2021

Man City fans seen tearing down rainbow banner at Spurs ground and invading pitch

Reuben Pinder

Several Man City fans got onto the pitch after the game

What was a wonderful day for Tottenham fans, returning to a packed out stadium to see a refreshed team beat the reigning champions under their new boss Nuno Espirito Santo, turned sour towards the end as a section of the away support were seen invading the pitch and tearing down a rainbow banner.

Man City were underwhelming in the game, still missing a few key players, as they succumbed to their third league defeat against Spurs since February 2020, and their fans made with discontent heard and seen after the game.

Faye Carruthers, reporting at the game for talkSPORT radio, posted a video showing the scuffles that broke out between the away fans and stewards, saying: “Fans on the pitch and Man City supporters remonstrating with their own players – City fans have untied the Spurs LGBT flag in the far corner as well. All got a bit niggly and nasty at the end – injury to Gundogan as well.”

As the video shows, fans forcibly removed a banner which displayed support for the LGBT community.

In the same scuffle, a small number of fans managed to escape stewards and get onto the pitch, with some remonstrating with City players Ilkay Gundogan and Fernandinho after a disappointing defeat.

“There’s a [pitch] invader, there’s always one isn’t there?” Carruthers told talkSPORT.

“He’s being wrestled away by the stewards as we speak. It’s disappointing to see that, in fact there are two of them on there, a young lad as well.

“Now there’s another pitch invader, what is wrong with these people?”

After the game, City boss Pep Guardiola revealed Gundogan had injured his shoulder: “Something in his shoulder. We will see what happens tomorrow. But something happened.”