Hull and Arsenal fined over Emirates brawl

Hull and Arsenal have been hit with fines of, respectively, 40,000 pounds and 20,000 pounds, following a mass confrontation between their players in a Premier League match at the Emirates in December.

Hull had admitted the charge while Arsenal contested it, but the Football Association’s disciplinary commission upheld the case against both clubs, although the involvement of the home team’s players was deemed less serious.

The melee, which involved 21 of the 22 players on the field, erupted after Arsenal’s Samir Nasri appeared to tread on the ankle of Hull midfielder Richard Garcia late in the first half.

Hull boss Phil Brown subsequently slammed Nasri for what he regarded as a deliberate provocation while Arsenal’s manager, Arsene Wenger, claimed the Hull players had over-reacted to a relatively minor incident.

Nasri and Hull’s Stephen Hunt were both booked for their roles in the confrontation while Hull’s Nick Barmby picked up a yellow card for continuing to remonstrate in the tunnel at half-time.

Arsenal took the lead shortly after the confrontation and went on to win the match 3-0.