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A teenage football fan has been arrested after running onto the Anfield pitch to celebrate Liverpool’s seventh goal against Manchester United on Sunday. The 16-year-old slipped as he approached a melee of Reds players who were celebrating the strike, with new footage showing him careering into Andy Robertson with both feet.
Liverpool put on the ultimate show during their latest Premier League encounter in the north west as Cody Gakpo opened the scoring just before half-time. Darwin Nunez doubled his team’s advantage two minutes into the second period, with Gakpo soon grabbing his second to kill off the game.
Nunez struck his second goal either side of a Mohamed Salah brace, with Roberto Firmino notching the final goal of the game two minutes before the end. Firmino wheeled away to celebrate his effort alongside a whole host of his team-mates at the side of the pitch. But they were joined by a young fan who had bypassed the stewards and sprinted across the pitch.
New footage recorded by a supporter in the stands and posted to social media shows the fan losing his footing just before he reaches the huddle. And as he goes to ground, he wipes out left-back Robertson, who is then forced to sit down and tend to his ankle with a grimace on his face.
The footage also appears to show midfielder Curtis Jones suffering a knock in the incident, with Reds manager Jurgen Klopp then seen screaming in the pitch invader’s face as the youngster is escorted away by security.
“A 16-year-old boy has been arrested following the Liverpool vs Manchester United game at Anfield yesterday (Sunday 5 March),” said Merseyside Police in a statement on Monday. “During the match a supporter was seen on the pitch.
“Officers later arrested a 16-year-old boy from Winsford on suspicion of encroaching onto a football pitch. He is scheduled to voluntarily attend a police station in Merseyside regarding this incident. Our officers are currently working with Liverpool Football Club in relation to the incident.”
Klopp and other Liverpool chiefs were clearly unhappy that a fan had been able to get on to the field of play. And the club released their own statement to condemn the behaviour. “Liverpool FC has begun an immediate investigation to identify and ban the individual pitch runner from Sunday’s Premier League fixture against Manchester United at Anfield,” it read.
“The offender ran onto the pitch and collided with Liverpool players, risking injury, as they celebrated the seventh goal in front of the Main Stand. There is no excuse for this unacceptable and dangerous behaviour. The safety and security of players, colleagues and supporters is paramount.
“The club will now follow its formal sanctions process and has suspended the alleged offender’s account until the process is complete. If found guilty of the offence of entering the pitch without permission, the offender could face a criminal record and a lifetime ban from Anfield and all Premier League stadiums. These acts are dangerous, illegal and have severe consequences.”
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