'I was referee in Aston Villa and Birmingham scrap – I had to put one star in a headlock'

Mark Clattenburg has spoken out on how he was forced to restrain Ashley Young in a headlock to prevent a mass confrontation from erupting on the field. The former official spent 13 years overseeing Premier League matches and witnessed numerous heated exchanges throughout his tenure, and he's not been shy about discussing various incidentsof late.

Having observed countless clashes during his career, including an episode with former Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson, the 50-year-old acknowledged playing a direct part in one particular moment while on the podcast.

When questioned about whether he'd witnessed any tunnel altercations during his refereeing career, he instantly recalled his experience of overseeing games between Birmingham City and Aston Villa. One specific occurrence stood out for Clattenburg, who described the intensity of the Second City derby.

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"It proper rocked," the former official said. "[There] was a lot of animosity after the game and them games were quite unique. They were fierce. I remember refereeing once at Villa and I nearly got charged by the FA.

"It was a bit stupid of me but Villa were on the attack and it was [Mehdi] Nafti playing for Birmingham and Ashley Young clashed in the middle of the pitch. I think Young played the ball off to the wing and they [Villa] got a good attack going.

"So, me not wanting to stop it, these two are clashing in the middle of the pitch and they started shoving and pushing each other, so I pushed Nafti out of the way and put Young in a headlock to release them so they could f***ing run away from each other.

"Young f***ing runs off, the ball gets squared off and Young scores. I was saying, 'I played a great advantage', but nobody really commented but [they] said I shouldn't have handled the player in that way. I'm like, 'F***ing hell, I've stopped a mass brawl here.'"

That 2008 clash concluded with a comprehensive 5-1 win for Villa, with Young and John Carew both bagging braces whilst Gabby Agbonlahor netted the final goal, reports Birmingham Live.

The County Durham-born Clattenburg has also shared his verdict on this season's Premier League title race, backing Arsenal to pip Liverpool to the crown – but with one crucial caveat.

"Gyokeres signing for Arsenal is genius," Clattenburg told the Whistleblowers podcast. "Arsenal have been missing goals, they needed that leader upfront. If Liverpool don't get Isak – I could see the league being really competitive this year.

"Luis Diaz has left, the new signings they've made will have to hit the ground running and Salah is not getting any younger. He's losing his pace. It all depends on Isak – if he goes, there's only one winner. But I really fancy Arsenal for the title."

He argued that Liverpool benefited from weaker opposition during their title push last season, but tipped the Gunners to mount a far more formidable challenge this campaign.

"I enjoyed watching Liverpool last season, but nearer the end, they were caught short a little bit. A lot of the teams around them suffered – and I felt Liverpool were just slightly better than they were.

"City were poor, Chelsea were indifferent, United and Tottenham weren't as strong. They weren't all beating each other, which normally happens. They maintained some form while the rest dipped – but Arsenal look so much stronger this year, and I think they'll challenge a lot more."

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