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Arsenal could be hit with their fourth Football Association (FA) charge of the season after the governing body are investigating the chaotic scenes following Saturday’s dramatic winning goal against Bournemouth, sources have told ESPN.
Substitute Reiss Nelson struck in the 97th-minute to seal a stunning 3-2 comeback win from 2-0 down, sparking euphoric celebrations inside Emirates Stadium as Mikel Arteta’s side re-established a five-point lead at the top of the Premier League.
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According to sources, the FA are investigating the conduct of Arsenal’s backroom staff and substitutes, who entered the field of play en masse to join Nelson and his teammates.
The incident was included in referee Chris Kavanagh’s report and FA chiefs are now reviewing the details. The game’s laws dictate that those in the technical area “must behave in a responsible manner” and “must remain within its confines except in special circumstances, e.g a physiotherapist/doctor entering the field of play, with the referee’s permission, to assess an injured player.”
The FA are yet to decide whether they will take further action but Arsenal have already been charged three times this campaign. They were ordered to pay £40,000 ($47,364) for failing to control their players in a fiery 0-0 draw with Newcastle United in January. Just six days later, they were found guilty of a similar offence after surrounding referee David Coote in an FA Cup third-round tie at Oxford United and were fined another £40,000.
Last month, both Arsenal and Manchester City were fined after failing to conduct themselves in an orderly fashion during their Premier League match, with Arsenal paying £65,000 plus an additional £20,000 suspended after the Oxford cup game.
Arsenal analyst Miguel Molina was also involved in a physical altercation with his Aston Villa counterpart Victor Manas after Arsenal’s stoppage-time winner at Villa Park last month.
However, Arteta’s side were frustrated that rules were broken elsewhere with VAR not intervening to chalk off Bournemouth’s opening goal, despite replays showing several players standing in Arsenal’s half when the visitors kicked-off, scoring after just nine seconds through Philip Billing.