Man United 2-0 Arsenal: Fans throw punches during a pre-season friendly at MetLife Stadium
The rivalry between Manchester United and Arsenal is famously spirited, but it looks like the tension spilled over from the pitch to the stands during their pre-season friendly on Saturday night.
The Gunners fell 2-0 to the Red Devils at MetLife Stadium as they continued their preseason tour of the United States after a 5-0 thrashing of the MLS All-Stars earlier in the week.
It was a physical encounter, typical of the fierce rivalry that has existed between the two sides, but the tension also seemed to spill over into the crowd.
In video taken by Mail Sport’s Chris Wheeler, fans could be seen fighting in the stands of New Jersey Stadium during the matchup.
While it’s unclear what sparked the fight, a group of fans on the stairway separating the rows of seats could be seen pushing each other before the situation escalated and one began throwing punches.
Arsenal succumbed to a 2-0 loss to Manchester United during their pre-season friendly
Tensions were also high in the stands as a group of supporters appeared to throw punches.
Two security personnel climbed over the pitch side railings that separated the stands from the action on the pitch and began advancing towards the fighting fans.
However, before they could get there, a couple of other fans managed to intervene and defuse the situation.
The blue-shirted fan who threw the first punch backed away and calmly returned to his seat in the front row. There didn’t seem to be any more problems.
Tensions were also high on the pitch. A late challenge from Lisandro Martinez on Bukayo Saka sparked tempers in the United States, resulting in a small brawl until the Argentine star was separated from Gunner captain Martin Odegaard.
The footage shows Martinez lunging at Saka in the United half as play progressed towards half time of the game.
United were already leading 2-0, but the centre-back, known for his aggressive nature, took no prisoners and dove high on the England striker.
As he nearly eliminated teammate Kobbie Mainoo as well, the referee whistled a free kick and booked Martinez for the challenge, though the 25-year-old was unfazed.
There seemed to be no further problems among the 82,262 supporters who attended.
Lisandro Martínez lit the spirits during the Manchester United match against Arsenal
The defender charged at Bukayo Saka, causing other players to get into a fight.
Odegaard was on the scene to take on his opponent, before several other players rushed to get involved.
The likes of Mason Mount, William Saliba, and Luke Shaw approached the scene, but things eventually calmed down.
The game saw three yellow cards overall, with Harry Maguire being booked for Manchester United and Gabriel Jesus also receiving a yellow in the game.
United will also play Wrexham, Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund while in the United States, and the Gunners will take on Barcelona on Thursday morning after beating an MLS All-Star team.
