Man City fined £120,000 by the FA after Pep Guardiola’s players surrounded referee Simon Hooper during their 3-3 draw against Tottenham

Manchester City have been fined £120,000 by the Football Association after their players surrounded referee Simon Hooper during the 3-3 draw against Tottenham.

The referee had made a controversial decision to call play back in the 94th minute of the match after initially playing an advantage. With City on the attack, Emerson Royal appeared to foul Erling Haalaand, with Hooper initially playing to advantage.

Despite the foul, the Norwegian striker was able to play the ball upfield to Jack Grealish who was heading towards goal, but Hooper blew his whistle and pulled the play back for a free-kick, ending City's chances of a late final attack.

Several City stars, including Haaland, were furious at the decision and surrounded Hooper to vent their anger at the call, with the Norwegian appearing to shout at Hooper.

The Man City forward had also written several messages on his social media accounts expressing his frustration at the decision, but was not charged by the governing body for the tweets.

On 4 December, the FA had announced that the club would be charged for 'failing to monitor their players' and that the case would be heard by an independent panel.

In a statement on Monday, the Football Association wrote: 'Manchester City FC have been fined £120,000 after their players surrounded a match official during the Premier League match against Tottenham Hotspur FC on Sunday 3 December, an FA statement said.

'Manchester City FC admitted they failed to stop their players from behaving inappropriately in the 94th minute.

“An independent regulatory commission imposed this sanction following a hearing.”

More to follow…