Manchester United ace Cristiano Ronaldo and Newcastle defender Steven Taylor had to be separated by teammates after an extraordinary half-time bust-up.
The Daily Mail says England Under 21 captain Taylor could face a suspension for apparently punching Ronaldo on the side of his head in the last minute of the first half and for his part in the confrontation at the break involving several players.
Witnesses said Ronaldo waited for the defender in the tunnel and called him a "rubbish footballer". Taylor, it was said, responded by calling last season's Footballer of the Year "ugly".
The pair went head-to-head repeating the insults until referee Steve Bennett and United captain Rio Ferdinand were among those who intervened.