Aaron Ramsdale was kicked by a Tottenham fan on Sunday after Arsenal managed to outwit their London counterparts 2-0 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday.
After the match ended 2-0 in Arsenal’s favour, Ramsdale could be seen celebrating in front of Tottenham forward Richarlison. The hot-headed Brazilian was not amused by Ramsdale’s celebration and went straight toward him.
Soon, an altercation ensued between the duo as the stewards had to step in to separate the players. After the melee, Ramsdale went near his goalpost, past the byline to grab his water bottle.
It was during this moment that a Tottenham fan hopped the hoarding and landed a disgraceful kick in the back of Ramsdale. Arsenal’s former captain Granit Xhaka saw the intruder and pointed toward him but inaction by the stewards allowed him to flee the spot.
The attacker fan with his face covered by a mask could be seen scurrying away in the video clips that have gone viral on social media platforms.
Ramsdale, in the aftermath of the attack, said, “Spurs fans were giving me some crack second half, and I gave them some back. The few people I did give it to it was probably well greeted, in a sportsmanship way. But then a fan jumped over and gave me a little punch in the back.”
“That’s what happened, and it’s a shame because it is just a game of football at the end of the day.”
Tottenham Hotspur released a statement after the match and condemned the attack whilst adding that efforts were underway to identify the attacker.
“We are appalled by the behaviour of a supporter that attempted to attack Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale at the end of today’s match. Violence in any form has no place in football.”
The Professional Footballers Association (PFA) also released a statement and called for tougher action to be taken against such violent supporters.
“Players have a right to be safe in their place of work. When a player is attacked we expect the laws and regulations that are in place to protect them to be properly enforced.”
(With inputs from agencies)
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