Wigan to investigate FA Cup pitch invasion as Manchester City seek answers
Manchester City are seeking an explanation from Wigan Athletic for the pitch invasion that occurred following their shock 1-0 loss in the FA Cup fifth-round on Monday night.
City striker Sergio Aguero had an altercation with a fan as supporters of the League One side spilled onto the DW Stadium pitch to celebrate their against-the-odds victory. Aguero appeared to shove a fan away before being escorted off the pitch by City staff.
Some City fans could be seen ripping advertising boards from the stadium and hurling them in the direction of police and stewards, while there was a threat of confrontation as Wigan fans gathered in front of the stand holding the away fans.
City may choose to make a formal complaint if they conclude that the stewarding provided by Wigan for such a high-profile game was inadequate.
"It's not nice to see," said Wigan chairman David Sharpe, who committed to investigating the incident.
"Football is an emotional game, it does strange things to people. But I don't like to see this at the end of the game."
The Football Association (FA) may also launch their own probe into the ugly scenes but will first review the referee's match report and any available footage including posts from fans uploaded to social media.
The game itself was played in a fractious atmosphere, with a furious half-time clash in the tunnel between City manager Pep Guardiola and Wigan boss Paul Cook caught by TV cameras.
Guardiola refused to be drawn on the incident, which followed the first-half sending-off of City defender Fabian Delph, and said he had not seen Aguero's altercation with a fan.
“It’s not great," he said. "I have not seen these incidents so I can’t give a comment but the players’ safety is paramount.”
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