Samir Nasri and Emmanuel Frimpong will not face any action over their post-match tunnel row at the Emirates Stadium, which was dismissed by an Arsenal spokesman as "handbags".

The pair clashed verbally after Manchester City's 1-0 victory over Arsenal in their Carling Cup quarter-final, but the incident has not been reported to the Football Association.

Nasri, who had been given a torrid time by the home fans on his first return to Arsenal since his summer move to City, was involved in a heated exchange with Frimpong as they left the pitch, which continued in the tunnel.

An Arsenal spokesman said: "Words were exchanged – that was that, there were no punches thrown but there was a lot of noise. Sami was speaking in French and Mani wasn't. It was handbags but they didn't even touch."

After Nasri's departure from Arsenal to City in the summer, Jack Wilshere had tweeted: "Good luck to my friend @Nanas08 – learnt a lot from him. World class player! Will be missed!" But Frimpong appeared to mock this or Nasri's decision when replying: "'Pfffff come on Jack."

While Arsène Wenger, the Arsenal manager, said he did not see the argument and admitted "frustration" at his side's defeat after they had dominated the tie, Roberto Mancini stated that only in January could he assess City's chances of winning all three domestic trophies this season.

The City manager said: "I don't know if we can win all three. The season is hard. December and January will be crucial months because we play big games every three days. After January we will know if we can win or not."

Regarding Nasri, who is yet to become a regular first-choice at City after his £25m move, Mancini added: "I think Nasri can play better than tonight. It [the booing] maybe affected him. It's not easy for him after being here [at Arsenal] for a few years. He's a very top player. When you arrive in a new team sometimes it takes time to settle in. He can improve a lot because he is a champion."