A fan account got quickly shut down after sharing a video showing ’40 minutes’ of Arsenal fouling goalkeepers.
Arsenal took all three points against West Ham United on Sunday, moving five points clear at the top of the Premier League – which left a lot of rival fans pretty unhappy.
The Gunners have two games left to play, one fewer than their closest rivals Manchester City, but they’re clearly in the lead as they chase their first league title since 2004 and prepare for their first Champions League final since 2006.
Fans and experts have been buzzing about Arsenal’s recent win, especially after a last-minute equalizer by West Ham striker Callum Wilson was ruled out. VAR official Darren England spotted a foul on Arsenal’s goalkeeper David Raya in the penalty area, so Wilson’s goal was taken away, bringing Arsenal closer to the championship.
As always in football, there’s plenty of strong opinions – and a fair bit of bias. Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown and some Gunners supporters were accused of being unfairly biased by ex-Crystal Palace chairman Simon Jordan. Jordan also pointed out that true objectivity is rare among passionate football fans.
Keown suggested that Manchester United fans’ pundits had complicated reasons for not wanting Arsenal to win, while Arsenal fans felt the same way about comments from former Manchester City goalkeepers Peter Schmeichel and Shay Given, who said Arsenal got away with similar fouls when scoring goals this season.
The reality is, everyone sees what they want to see. Some even go out of their way to find proof for their side’s argument.
For example, a Manchester City fan on X (formerly Twitter), who has nearly 6,000 followers, tried to show clips of Arsenal doing the same kind of fouls. He posted a short 35-second video after promising a 40-minute one, but none of the clips showed the exact same incident, and one was even called a foul.
Arsenal fans quickly pointed out the video’s flaws, noting things like “none of those clips show a player holding down the goalie’s arms” and that “standard set-piece crowding happens with all teams.”
One fan wrote, “No clip shows Arsenal players holding the keeper’s arms and shirt while he has both hands on the ball. What was called out was two players physically holding the keeper’s arms while he was trying to catch it cleanly.”
Another simply said, “Thanks for proving that Arsenal don’t foul the keeper. Keep up the good work.”
The debate goes on, but it’s clear that this kind of passionate discussion is just part of what makes football so exciting!