Why Arsenal could be punished for Galatasaray fan trouble

Turkish fans threw flares and set off firecrackers, but Uefa says Gunners should have stopped them

Police watch over Galatasaray supporters during the match between Arsenal and Galatasaray
(Image credit: ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty)

Arsenal face disciplinary action from Uefa after crowd disturbances marred their 4-1 victory at home to Galatasaray on Wednesday evening. Although Danny Welbeck was the star of the show in the Gunners' victory with his first career hat-trick, the match was also remembered for a five-minute spell in the first-half when some of the 3,000 contingent of Turkish fans threw flares on to the pitch and exploded firecrackers in the stands.

The referee was forced to halt the match while the flares were extinguished, and only a personal plea from Galatasaray captain Wesley Sneijder and goalkeeper Fernando Muslera quelled the disturbances. According to the Evening Standard, the Metropolitan Police made six arrests during the Group D Champions League clash, two of which were for entering the ground with flares.

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Bill Mann is a football correspondent for The Week.co.uk, scouring the world's football press daily for the popular Transfer Talk column.