An Everton supporter has been arrested on suspicion of racially abusing Manchester City winger Antoine Semenyo during Monday night’s Premier League clash at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, which ended in a 3-3 draw.
Merseyside Police confirmed that a 71-year-old man from Nottinghamshire was arrested on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence after supporters and stewards reported that racist abuse had been directed at the player inside the ground. The man has since been released on bail, with conditions prohibiting him from going within one mile of any designated sports stadium in the four hours before kick-off, during a match, and for up to four hours after the final whistle. Police said an investigation into the incident remains ongoing.
Everton condemned the abuse in a club statement, describing racism and discrimination as “completely unacceptable” and having “no place in our stadia, our sport or in society.” The club credited a swift response from fellow supporters, stewards, and Merseyside Police for enabling the individual to be identified and action to be taken.
Manchester City also confirmed that England defender Marc Guehi, 25, was subjected to a series of racist social media posts following the match. “We are incredibly disappointed to hear that Marc Guehi was subject to a series of vile racist social media posts last night,” the club said, adding that it welcomed the prompt action taken by Everton and police in response to the in-stadium abuse of Semenyo. “We will continue to offer our full support to both Antoine and Marc and never accept discrimination of any kind in our game,” City added.
Semenyo subsequently said more must be done to tackle racism in football, including the possibility of custodial sentences for those convicted of racially abusing players.
The incident overshadowed a dramatic contest at Everton’s ground, with Erling Haaland scoring in the 83rd minute and Jeremy Doku adding a stunning effort deep into stoppage time to rescue a point for City, who now trail Premier League leaders Arsenal by five points with a game in hand and four matches remaining.
