The footage has quickly viral on social media and fans want serious action taken.

The FA Cup has always produced drama and emotional moments but sometimes the biggest talking points do not come only from what happens during the match itself. Before the game between Newcastle United and Manchester City at St James Park there was already a moment that quickly spread across social media and caused a strong reaction from football fans online. The moment involved Manchester City player Antoine Semenyo and several supporters inside the stadium and it soon became a viral video that created a heated debate among Newcastle supporters.

The match itself was an important one because it was part of the FA Cup fifth round. Newcastle were hoping to continue their journey in the competition while Manchester City wanted to move one step closer to another domestic trophy under Pep Guardiola. As always when big teams meet the stadium atmosphere was electric long before kickoff. Thousands of supporters filled St James Park with excitement and tension as both teams prepared for the night match.

St James Park is widely considered one of the best stadiums in England when it comes to atmosphere. Newcastle fans are famous for their passion and their loyalty to the club. When the team plays at home the noise from the crowd can make the stadium feel intimidating for visiting teams. Many players and managers have spoken about how difficult it is to play there when the crowd is fully behind the home side.

But before the match began something unusual happened that caught the attention of many people both inside the stadium and watching online. Manchester City forward Antoine Semenyo was seen interacting with fans near the pitch before the game started. The player was signing autographs and greeting supporters in the stands as part of the normal pre match routine where players sometimes take a few minutes to meet fans.

At first this might not seem like anything controversial. Footballers signing autographs is a common sight before matches. Fans often try to get closer to the players for photos or signatures especially when the teams are warming up.

However the situation became more complicated because of where the interaction was happening. Manchester City had around five thousand travelling supporters inside the stadium and they were located in the away section high up in the stands. But Semenyo was not signing autographs for the away supporters.

Instead he was standing near the pitch in front of the home section where Newcastle fans were sitting.

Video footage showed Semenyo smiling and signing items for people in the crowd. Some fans were holding out shirts and pieces of paper hoping to receive a signature from the Manchester City player. One person was even holding a sky blue Manchester City shirt for Semenyo to sign.

Someone recorded the moment and the clip was quickly shared online through the official FA Cup social media account on the platform now known as X which used to be called Twitter. The video spread extremely fast and within a short time it had gathered more than one million views.

As more people watched the footage reactions began to appear everywhere across social media. Some viewers simply saw it as a friendly moment between a player and football supporters. But many Newcastle fans reacted very differently.

For them the sight of people in the home section asking a Manchester City player for autographs was deeply frustrating. Supporters expect the home stands to be filled with fans fully supporting their own team especially during an important cup match.

Many Newcastle supporters felt the video showed people behaving like neutral spectators instead of passionate fans backing their club. That reaction quickly turned into anger online as more fans shared the video and commented on what they were seeing.

The situation became even more controversial because of Semenyo’s history with Sunderland. Sunderland are one of Newcastle United’s biggest rivals and the rivalry between the two clubs is one of the most intense in English football.

Antoine Semenyo previously played for Sunderland on loan back in 2020 which means he once wore the colors of Newcastle’s fierce rival. Because of that history many Newcastle supporters were shocked to see people in the home section asking him for autographs.

Some fans argued that it showed a lack of loyalty or respect for the club. Others complained that it was unfair because genuine Newcastle supporters often struggle to get tickets for big matches while people who appear less passionate manage to enter the stadium.

The debate quickly grew larger as hundreds of comments appeared online. Some supporters demanded strong action from the club. They believed Newcastle United should identify the individuals seen in the video and ban them from attending future matches at St James Park.

One supporter wrote angrily asking how those people managed to get tickets when many loyal fans fail to win places in the ticket ballot. The supporter said everyone seen asking Semenyo for a signature should be banned from the stadium.

Another supporter agreed with the message and called on the club to take immediate action. According to that comment Newcastle should ban every person visible in the video.

A third fan pointed out the strange situation of seeing people wearing Manchester City shirts in the home section during a Newcastle match. The supporter expressed disbelief that anyone would ask for the autograph of a former Sunderland player while standing inside the Newcastle home end.

Several other comments demanded lifetime bans from the stadium for those involved. The anger showed how seriously many supporters take the identity and loyalty associated with their club.

Football rivalries often go beyond the ninety minutes on the pitch. They represent local pride history and strong emotional connections that supporters feel toward their team.

For many Newcastle fans the home section of St James Park should be a place where everyone stands united behind the club. Seeing people cheering or interacting with an opposition player in that space can feel like a betrayal of that spirit.

While the online reaction was intense there has been no confirmation that Newcastle United will actually take action against the individuals seen in the video. Football clubs sometimes review incidents involving fan behavior but decisions depend on the circumstances and the club’s internal policies.

For now the clip remains simply a viral moment that sparked a passionate debate among supporters.

Meanwhile the match itself continued to produce drama on the pitch.

Newcastle started the game strongly and gave their fans something to celebrate early in the match. Harvey Barnes scored the opening goal which sent the home crowd into celebration and raised hopes that Newcastle might eliminate Manchester City from the competition.

However Manchester City responded with the calm determination that has become typical under Pep Guardiola. The team gradually regained control of the game and began creating more chances.

Omar Marmoush was the key player for City on the night. The forward scored two goals to turn the match around and give his team the lead. His brace was impressive and continued a strange pattern in his career because half of his goals in English football have come against teams from the North East.

Savinho later added a third goal to seal the victory and confirm a 3 1 result for Manchester City. The win meant that Newcastle were eliminated from yet another cup competition by the Premier League champions.

Despite the disappointment of the result the discussions after the match were not only about the goals and the performance on the field. The viral video involving Semenyo and the home supporters remained a major talking point among fans online.

At the same time another story involving Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola also attracted attention.

During the match Guardiola received a yellow card after confronting fourth official Lewis Smith. The manager was protesting about a challenge on winger Jeremy Doku and his reaction resulted in the booking.

That yellow card turned out to be his sixth of the season which automatically triggered a two match touchline ban according to the rules of English football.

Because of the suspension Guardiola will not be allowed to stand on the touchline during Manchester City’s upcoming Premier League match against West Ham United. He will also miss the FA Cup quarter final scheduled for the weekend of April four or five.

However the ban does not apply to domestic cup finals or European matches which means Guardiola will still be able to lead his team during the Carabao Cup final against Arsenal at Wembley on March twenty two.

So while Newcastle supporters continue debating what happened in the stands before the match Manchester City are already focusing on the next challenges in their season.

The viral video remains another example of how quickly small moments around football matches can spread across the internet and become huge talking points among supporters. In the modern era almost everything happening inside a stadium can be recorded shared and discussed by millions of people within minutes.

Sometimes those moments create laughter and entertainment but other times they spark heated debates about loyalty respect and the culture of football fandom.

For Newcastle fans the situation touched on deeper feelings about what it means to support a club especially during important matches against strong opponents. For others it was simply a brief friendly interaction between a player and some spectators before kickoff.

Regardless of the different opinions the moment has already become part of the story surrounding that FA Cup night at St James Park. A match where Manchester City came from behind to win three one will also be remembered for a viral video and the passionate reactions it created among football supporters everywhere.