Enzo Fernandez was at the centre of a bizarre incident involving Marc Guehi during Manchester City’s 5-3 Premier League victory over Sunderland at the Etihad Stadium.
Footage appeared to show Fernandez wiping his nose before making contact with Guehi, who seemed unaware of what had happened. A second angle, however, suggested the midfielder may have wiped his hand on his own shirt before exchanging a low high-five with his team-mate.
The footage quickly circulated online, prompting a mixture of disgust and defence from supporters. Some users accused Fernandez of making an inappropriate gesture, while others argued that the fuller sequence showed no deliberate wrongdoing.
Fernandez scores as Manchester City beat Sunderland
The strange moment came during an eight-goal contest in which Fernandez made an immediate impact after moving from Chelsea in the summer.
He opened the scoring in the ninth minute with a clever near-post free-kick that appeared to catch Sunderland goalkeeper Robin Roefs off guard.
Sunderland levelled through Brian Brobbey, before Rayan Cherki restored City’s lead. Brobbey struck again to make it 2-2, but Antoine Semenyo put the hosts back in front shortly before half-time after a touch from Guehi.
Semenyo added a second goal early in the second half to give City a two-goal advantage, only for Brobbey to complete his hat-trick and set up a tense finish at the Etihad.
Manchester City eventually secured the points when Erling Haaland tapped in Josko Gvardiol’s cross in the 81st minute following a VAR check.
But amid the goals and drama, the Fernandez and Guehi exchange became one of the most discussed moments of the match.
