MANCHESTER // The English Football Association (FA) will review two incidents involving the Manchester City forward Emmanuel Adebayor during Saturday's 4-2 win over Arsenal. Arsenal forward Robin van Persie was left with a cut to his face after being caught by one of Adebayor's boots. Van Persie claimed it was deliberate. Adebayor further angered the visiting fans when he ran up to them to celebrate his goal.
"I was pretty unimpressed because the problems between the Arsenal fans and Adebayor are well documented, and he ran the whole length of the field to celebrate," said Ian Watmore, the FA chief executive. "Our governance team will take a good look at both of the incidents." Van Persie described his clash with Adebayor as a "mindless and malicious stamp". "I do feel lucky that I have not suffered a greater injury, the contact was only centimetres from my eye," he said.
"We are both professional footballers and I know the game is physical, I too have made hard and sometimes mistimed challenges, but never with the intention of hurting an opponent. He set out to hurt me. "I knew he was aiming for a collision because he changed the angle of his body to allow contact to be made." The referee, Mark Clattenburg, did not see the incident. It followed a sliding tackle by Van Persie. Adebayor denied there was intent in his reaction and said he had apologised.
"I was trying to kick the ball, I saw him tackle in front and I did not have any time to get out," he said. "I think my feet touched his head. I told him straight away that I am sorry and I told him at the end of the match." Mark Hughes, the City manager, said he did not see the incident with Van Persie but defended Adebayor's goal celebration. "We have to cut Emmanuel a bit of slack. He is an emotional guy and was caught up in the moment."
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