- Neal Maupay was at the heart of controversy after Brentford’s defeat by Man City
- The Bees striker was seen involved in a heated argument with City’s Kyle Walker
- Chelsea are a mess and it’s hard to find the answers… but they have to keep the faith and stay patient – It’s All Kicking Off podcast
Neal Maupay was again at the centre of controversy on Monday night after becoming embroiled in a heated spat with Manchester City captain Kyle Walker.
Seven days on from the furore surrounding the Brentford striker’s darts goal celebration at Tottenham, he left Walker enraged with a comment towards the end of City’s 3-1 victory.
The England international was calmed down by Pep Guardiola after the pair had exchanged words and the City boss declined to discuss the incident afterwards.
Brentford boss Thomas Frank was not forthcoming either and did not speak to Maupay about the row.
‘No, I saw they were talking to each other,’ Frank said. ‘It’s not my first focus after a game that we lost.’
Brentford striker Neal Maupay (centre) was at the heart of controversy yet again after being seen in a verbal spat with Man City captain Kyle Walker (second from the left) on Monday night
Walker was clearly upset by something Maupay said, as he captained his side to a 3-1 victory
Maupay was also seen exchanging words with Man City goalkeeper Ederson during the game
The City captain split with his wife Annie Kilner, 30, last month after fathering a second child with Lauryn Goodman.
Kilner announced that she would be ‘taking some time away from Kyle’ after 13 years together in light of his infidelities.
Maupay enraged Tottenham midfielder James Maddison after mimicking the England star’s darts celebration in north London last Wednesday.
The Bees striker cheekily celebrated his 15th minute goal by copying Maddison’s renowned dart throw routine in front of the Tottenham fans, with Brentford team-mate Ivan Toney following in on the act.
Phil Foden inspired City to a victory on Monday night which took them within two points of leaders Liverpool with a game in hand – against the Bees in a fortnight.
Phil Foden scored a fine hat-trick as Manchester City came from behind to beat Brentford
Guardiola claimed that Foden is Kevin De Bruyne’s natural heir as the academy product continues to impact matches and now has 14 goals in all competitions this term.
‘There is space to take over from Kevin and Bernardo (Silva) in the future,’ Guardiola said.
‘It’s experience, the experience he gets. And then he will lead. Now he’s being led.
‘Phil is playing the most influential season in the team in terms of goals and assists. He’s like a knife. I’ve only seen a few like that.
‘He will decide his own limits. If he focuses he will have a long and successful career. But it depends on him. If he can focus then he can achieve whatever he wants.
The striker was also involved in an altercation with Tottenham’s James Maddison in midweek
Maupay and team-mate Ivan Toney mockingly mimicked Maddison’s famous darts celebration
Walker recently heaped praise on ‘unbelievable’ Guardiola for being so ‘understanding’ and also revealed how England manager Gareth Southgate reached out to offer his support last week.
The defender also admitted he was tempted to ‘escape’ the UK to Bayern Munich in a £15million deal, but decided against the move in an effort to stay close to his children.
Speaking of Guardiola’s support, Walker told The Sun: ‘He didn’t know what was happening. I didn’t want to tell him because I didn’t want him to think I wasn’t mentally there.
‘I can’t thank him enough for the understanding and belief he’s shown in me through four years.
Walker has endured a tricky period off the pitch of late following his split with wife Annie Kilner
The City captain heaped praise on ‘unbelievable’ Pep Guardiola for being so ‘understanding’
‘I tried to escape. Did I want to leave City? No, of course I didn’t. We’re the best team in the world at the minute. But it was a chance to get away from England and the media I was going to get.
‘I was aware the clock was ticking. I came very close to moving. We were having conversations. I was going to a great club, a massive club. But in the end I couldn’t go.’
Walker returned as captain against Brentford and played 90 minutes for the 21st time in 23 league games this campaign.
The champions host Everton in the Premier League on Saturday before the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 clash against Copenhagen next Tuesday.
Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
