After winning the North London Derby against Tottenham by a Score 2-0 on Sunday, Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale was hit by a Spurs fan just after the final whistle. The 24-year-old goalkeeper had a bit of a row with Brazilian striker Richarlison and things got tense when Ramsdale was hit by a fan from the stands as he went to get his water bottle behind the goal. A fight ensued when the fan returned to the stands and more players got involved.
Ramsdale then spoke, commenting on the altercation with the supporter, who will most likely face club discipline in the coming days.
“The Spurs fans gave it to me throughout the game. I was giving it back,” he told Sky Sports.
“People I gave it to received it in a sporting way but a fan tried to give me a little punch in the back. It’s a shame because it’s only a football match in end of the day. Both groups of players tried to bring me back but luckily nothing too serious happened. It’s a bitter taste but I’m sure we’ll appreciate it when we get back to the dressing room.
Here is the video of the incident:
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta also commented on the incident and told Sky Sports: “All I saw was a great game of football. Aaron made some great saves. He’s showing really a different kind of presence. To do what he did here today, big. It’s to his credit. We’ll deal with the incident. Aaron is fine.”
CBS Sports has a brand new daily football podcast, covering everything you need to know about the beautiful game. Be sure to follow House of Champions for coverage of the biggest games, stories, transfer news with Fabrizio Romano and of everything that happens in the most popular sport in the world.
Tottenham manager Antonio Conte said he ‘didn’t like’ what happened to the goalkeeper.
“It’s not good. I repeat that we must always show respect at all times,” he said.
The Professional Footballers’ Association was quick to issue a statement afterwards condemning what had happened.
“Violence towards players is completely unacceptable,” they said. “These types of incidents happen far too often. Players have a right to be safe in their workplace. When a player is attacked, we expect the laws and regulations in place to protect the players are properly enforced players union, we are treating this as a priority issue and will continue to work with the authorities to demand that players and staff are better protected in their workplaces.
The two first-half goals (an own goal from Hugo Lloris and a goal from Martin Odegaard) were enough to see Arsenal secure a victory that put them eight points clear at the top of the Premier League, taking advantage of Manchester City’s loss to Manchester United on Saturday. Tottenham, on the other hand, continue to struggle and are currently fifth, five points behind fourth place with one game more than Manchester United.
