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18:00 GMT, Thursday, 24 January 2008

Arsenal pair escape FA punishment

Arsenal strikers Nicklas Bendtner and Emmanuel Adebayor

The Football Association will not take any formal action against Arsenal's Emmanuel Adebayor and Nicklas Bendtner for their altercation.

The pair squared up to each other in the second half of Tuesday's 5-1 Carling Cup semi-final second leg defeat against Tottenham.

However, the FA will write to both Gunners players to remind them of their responsibilities.

Adebayor had earlier apologised for the incident on the club's website.

"We are both passionate about this club, but it was a mistake. I am sorry," he said following the incident which left Bentner with a cut nose.

"We should have been more calm during the game and although I was pleased to get a goal back for the team when I came on, I am sorry for the disagreement with my team-mate Nicklas."

Arsenal were 4-1 down when the incident happened, and substitute Adebayor had been on the pitch for only 21 minutes.

The Togo international had made an impact on the game within eight minutes of his arrival when he scored Arsenal's only goal.

606: DEBATE
"It was violent conduct and the referee bottled sending them off"
Pearlsaswinger

However, frustrations later boiled over and tempers flared within the Arsenal team as Tottenham romped to their first win over their north London rivals in nine years.

Gunners skipper William Gallas and referee Howard Webb intervened, but the match official did not see the entire incident and neither did Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger.

The incident was also seen by Matthieu Flamini, who shouted pleas to his team-mates to calm down from the substitutes bench.

It is not the first time that team-mates have been involved in an altercation on the pitch.

Lee Bowyer and Kieron Dyer were sent off after brawling at St James' Park in 2005 when they were playing for Newcastle, who had fallen 3-0 behind to Aston Villa.

Seven years ago Bradford's Stuart McCall had to have stitches in a facial wound after Andy Myers struck him just before half-time of the 6-1 defeat to Leeds.

And in 1995, Blackburn team-mates David Batty and Graeme Le Saux came to blows during a Champions League match against Spartak Moscow.




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Related to this story:

Tottenham 5-1 Arsenal (22 Jan 08 |  League Cup )
Ramos praise for 'perfect' Spurs (22 Jan 08 |  League Cup )

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