Unai Emery Demands 'Respect' from Fans After Pitch Invader vs. Manchester United

Arsenal fans have been asked to react with "respect" by head coach Unai Emery after a supporter invaded the pitch during the Gunners' 2-0 win over Manchester United on Sunday.

The incident occurred after Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang had put the hosts 2-0 up from the penalty spot in the Premier League at the Emirates Stadium. A fan ran onto the pitch to be part of the celebration, shoving United centre-back Chris Smalling in the process (video not available in the United States):

Emery spoke after the match, per Jack Wilkinson of Sky Sports, and condemned the actions of the supporter: "I don't want that. It is not in my control, I think we can enjoy the support, today I think they helped us but we need to do it with respect."

Arsenal have subsequently released an official statement also criticising the behaviour, per James Olley of the London Evening Standard:

Emery's call for respect, coupled with his club's swift and hardline response, are timely given the recent spate of similar incidents. Earlier on Sunday, unsavoury scenes in a Birmingham derby saw Aston Villa playmaker Jack Grealish punched by a Birmingham City fan who had crossed the stands and entered the pitch.

Grealish subsequently scored the winner as Villa left St Andrew's with a 1-0 victory. Yet while the goal would have been personally satisfying for an aggrieved player, the issue of fan violence toward those involved in matches is a growing problem.

Rangers defender James Tavernier was aggressively approached by a pitch invader during a 1-1 draw with Hibernian in the Scottish Premiership on Friday. Earlier this month, a glass bottle was thrown toward Celtic forward Scott Sinclair as the Hoops beat Hibs in the Scottish Cup.

The rash of supporter misconduct has some calling for clubs to take action:

What form such action takes is unclear at the moment, but at the very least lengthy bans seem likely to be imposed. Lifetime exclusion from football grounds would be the best deterrent to a problem the governing bodies in the game can't afford to respond to lightly, lest more of its participants are put in danger.