Arsenal & Man City FINED a combined £140,000 by FA for failing to control players during feisty Premier League contest

• Arsenal and Man City fined
• Both teams admit to failure to control players
• Two sides came to blows in PL this month

WHAT HAPPENED? The fireworks were out in an explosive encounter between the two Premier League title contenders. Both team's players surrounded referee Anthony Taylor and his team of officials on several occasions as City left the Emirates with all three points in a 3-1 win.

WHAT THEY SAID: A statement from the FA's official website read: "Arsenal and Manchester City have both been fined by an independent Regulatory Commission after their players surrounded the match official at different times during their Premier League fixture on Wednesday 15 February.

"Arsenal have been fined £65,000 after the club admitted that it failed to ensure their players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion during the 56th minute of the fixture." It adds that they have subsequently been fined a further £20,000 for a breach that had been suspended from their game against Oxford United on January 9.

"City, meanwhile, were handed a £75,000 fine 'after the club after the club admitted that it failed to ensure their players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion during the 42nd and 64th minutes."

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Tensions flared in a gripping game of football that looked pivotal in the Premier League title race. Arsenal headed into the game top of the league, but had dropped points against Everton and Brentford in their two previous fixtures, allowing City to chop down a sizeable points gap and go top themselves.

The Gunners bounced back with a comeback victory over Aston Villa next time out, though, while City dropped points to Nottingham Forest, undoing their work in London.

IN THREE PHOTOS:

WHAT NEXT? The two sides will butt heads once more in the Premier League this season, playing at the Etihad at the end of April in what could be pivotal in the title race.