Here’s What Zlatan Ibrahimovic And Tyrone Mings Said About Their Unpleasant Incidents
Reuters / Andrew Yates
Manchester United missed the chance to claim the fourth spot in the Premier League standing as they failed to break the stubborn Bournemouth’s defense on Saturday’s afternoon.
The game saw United taking the lead with Marcos Rojo scoring his first goal of the season and just 17 minutes later, the visitors were handed a lifeline was Phil Jones as he awarded them an all-important penalty.
Joshua King was spot on to convert from the spot and five minutes later, a brawl between Manchester United’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Bournemouth’s Tyrone Mings saw Andrew Surman getting his marching orders.
Surman – accidently or so – stabbed Ibrahimovic on his head and following that incident, Ibrahimovic returned the favour by elbowing – again, accidently as he claimed – Mings.
However, both the players had their say after the game and Mings claimed that the stomping was completely accidental and also said that these kind of acts are not of his nature.
“Not at all,” he was quoted by Daily Mirror.
“I would never do that. Not in my game. Hard and fair is how I like to tackle. But off the ball, that isn’t my game.”
Both were seen exchanging some words, but Mings said that all was cool with Ibra: “He just said ‘You’re a good player, you’re having a good game’… no he didn’t really!
“He’s a physical player and I knew what I would be in for coming here playing against him. I had that feeling for the rest of the game. It was a good battle all game.”
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Ibrahimovic, on the other hand, shockingly claimed that Mings jumped onto his elbow, stating: “I don’t know, I felt somebody.”
“We have the TV and we can see what happened. In my situation, I jump up, jump high and at the same time I protect myself and it is unlucky that he jumps into me.
“He jumps into my elbow. Many times this happens and I hope he didn’t get injured from me.”
The giant Swede further went on to say that his on the field battles dissolves as soon as the final whistle is blown.
“What happens on the field, stays on the field. I am not a player that will talk afterwards. The game is hard. What happened, happened, and it is what it is.”
And when things like these happen, you should always expect experts having their say and Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher was spot on to comment on both the incidents.
“Mings deserved a smack for that,” said Sky Sports pundit Carragher.
“It’s a disgraceful cowardly stamp. You can’t support what Zlatan did with the elbow. But stamping on someone’s head when they are on the floor is disgraceful.
“But the ref has either seen it and bottled it. I think he’s just panicked, bottled it and just froze.”
Late in the second half, United were handed a great opportunity to restore their lead as the visitors gave away a cheap penalty, but unfortunately for United, Zlatan missed the chance and United had to share the points with the Cherries.
