An Everton fan has been arrested on suspicion of racially abusing Manchester City winger Antoine Semenyo during their clash on Monday night.
In a statement, Manchester City also confirmed that defender Marc Guehi was also subject to racist abuse on social media following the game at Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Everton said in a statement that a 71-year-old man was arrested ‘on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence after supporters and stewards reported the incident’ with Semenyo inside the ground.
The statement continued: ‘Racism and discrimination in all forms are completely unacceptable. They have no place in our stadia, our sport or in society, and behaviour of this nature will not be tolerated.
‘A swift response from fellow supporters, stewards, and Merseyside Police led to the individual being identified and appropriate action taken.
‘The club will continue to work closely with the authorities to support their investigation and will take the strongest possible action in line with its zero-tolerance approach.
‘Anyone who witnesses any form of discrimination, harassment or anti-social behaviour is encouraged to report it. This can be done by speaking to a steward or police officer, or by using confidential reporting channels. Incidents can be reported to the Stadium Safety Team by texting HELP along with details of the incident and location to 84300, or by emailing reportit@evertonfc.com.’
City, meanwhile, said: ‘We welcome the swift action taken by Everton and the police to identify the individual responsible.’
They added: ‘We will continue to offer our full support to both Antoine and Marc and never accept discrimination of any kind in our game.’