Aaron Ramsdale was kicked by a Tottenham fan following Arsenal’s north London derby victory.
The Gunners earned their first win away from home against Spurs for nine years as a Hugo Lloris own goal and a Martin Odegaard strike gave them a much-deserved 2-0 win. It leaves them eight points clear at the top of the Premier League.
Ramsdale had one of his best matches of the season, making seven saves to keep a clean sheet. He was particularly impressive straight after the break as Tottenham threatened to get back into the match, keeping Harry Kane and Ryan Sessegnon at bay.
At the full-time whistle Ramsdale clashed with Richarlison, before a Spurs supporter moved down in the stands and kicked out at the Arsenal goalkeeper.
Ramsdale had his back turned as a steward attempted to push the fan away, though the Englishman confirmed after the match that he had felt it.
“The Spurs fans were giving me some throughout the second half, I gave them some back,” Ramsdale told Sky Sports.
“To the few people I did do it to, it was probably well-greeted. And then a fan jumped over and gave me a little punch in the back. That’s what happened.
“It’s a shame because it’s just a game of football at the end of the day.
Arsenal go 8️⃣ points clear at the top of the table with a 2-0 North London derby win 🔝🔴
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) January 15, 2023
Tensions boil over as the full-time whistle blows at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium 😳 pic.twitter.com/iYppuJ6dyM
“Both sets of players tried to bring me away, but thankfully nothing actually happened that was too drastic. It’s a sour taste but we’ll enjoy it when we got back in the dressing room.”
When made aware of it in his post-match interview, Tottenham centre-back Eric Dier condemned the incident.
“I didn’t see it, but it’s obviously just unacceptable,” Dier said.
“There’s nothing more I can say - it’s unacceptable and it should never have happened.”
Tottenham say they are “appalled” by the behaviour of the fan who attacked Ramsdale and say he faces an “immediate ban”.
A Tottenham statement said: “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 club has reviewed its CCTV footage to identify the supporter and will be working with the Met Police, Arsenal and Aaron Ramsdale to take the strongest possible action, including an immediate ban from Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.”
