Liverpool defender Joe Gomez and Manchester City forward Raheem Sterling were involved in a “huge bust-up” after reporting for England duty on Monday.
The Reds beat Man City 3-1 at Anfield on Sunday as Fabinho, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane put Liverpool eight points clear at the top of the Premier League table.
It was a frustrating afternoon for many of City’s players – particularly former Reds winger Sterling, who was handled well by Liverpool’s defence whilst being booed by the crowd throughout the 90 minutes.
The 24-year-old let his frustrations known in the closing stages at Anfield as he attempted to take the ball off substitute Gomez, eventually squaring up to the former Charlton man.
Gomez should have floored Sterling pic.twitter.com/oHECa3Qe9L
— MT (@MT_Futbol) November 11, 2019
Gomez towered above Sterling and gave him a push in the chest, with Sterling responding by aggressively pushing into the back of him as the duo were split apart by Dejan Lovren and James Milner.
The England teammates joined up on international duty at St. George’s Park a day later, with reports suggesting they were involved in a bust-up on arrival.
According to the Mail, banter about Liverpool’s win over City “degenerated into another physical confrontation” between the two.
The report claims Gomez and Sterling “had to be separated by shocked team-mates after a physical confrontation.”
“Sterling was sat down in the canteen when Gomez arrived and leant over from behind to shake his hand, leading to him to attempt to grab his team-mate by the neck,” the Mail wrote.
“The rest of the England players initially thought Sterling was joking, but it soon became clear that he had lost control and the pair were separated.”
Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate has emphasised the importance of team spirit in the past and has responded by dropping Sterling from England’s squad to face Montenegro.
Southgate issued a statement late on Monday evening, explaining: “We have taken the decision to not consider Raheem for the match against Montenegro on Thursday.
“One of the great challenges and strengths for us is that we’ve been able to separate club rivalries from the national team. Unfortunately, the emotions of yesterday’s game were still raw.
“My feeling is the right thing for the team is the action we have taken. Now that the decision has been made with the agreement of the entire squad, it’s important that we support the players and focus on Thursday night.”
England face Montenegro and Kosovo in this international break, needing just a point to qualify for next year’s Euro 2020 competition.
Liverpool take on Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park after returning from the break, with City in action against third-placed Chelsea at the Etihad.
