THIS is the shocking moment a thug kicked Aaron Ramsdale after Arsenal beat bitter rivals Tottenham in the North London Derby.
Spurs confirmed that they will hand over footage of the attack to police and seek to sanction the fan, including slapping him with a lifetime ban from their stadium.
The Gunners’ goalie was being led off the pitch by steward’s after bickering with Spurs man Richarlison when the fan landed a kick to his back.
The disgraceful attack marked the peak of an already tense game, which saw league leaders Arsenal come out on top 2-0.
Players from both sets of teams ran over to try and diffuse the situation, while Ramsdale was led away from in front of the Spurs stand by Arsenal team-mate Oleksandr Zinchenko.
Team boss Mikel Arteta then took over, dragging his goalie towards the travelling supporters.
There were wild celebrations in front of the Arsenal fans as Arteta and Co went eight points clear at the top of the Premier League.
DO you know the thug who kicked Ramsdale? Ring The Sun on 020 7782 4104 or WhatsApp on 07423720250 or email exclusive@the-sun.co.uk.
When asked about the incident by Sky Sports, Ramsdale said: “The Spurs fans were giving me some [stick] throughout the second half.
“I gave them some back, which to the few people I did it to it was probably well greeted, you know, sportsmanship like.
Most read in Football
“Then a fan tried to jump over and gave me a little punch on the back.
“That’s what happened and it’s a shame because it’s just a game of football at the end of the day.”
He added: “I think both sets of players tried to bring me away and thankfully nothing actually happened to drastically.
“It’s a sour taste but I’m sure we’ll enjoy it when we go back in the dressing room.”
Tottenham defender Eric Dier brandished the kick as “unacceptable”.
He told said to Sky: “Obviously it’s just unacceptable really.
“There’s nothing more I can say other than it’s unacceptable and it shouldn’t have happened.”
The club now faces an FA probe over the incident.
Spurs boss Antonio Conte said he did not see the incident, but told Sky: “If it happened this type of situation then it’s not good, it’s not good.
“I repeat we have to show always respect, in every moment for the opponent, for the players.
“I think that if it happened this type of situation that you are telling me, I didn’t like it.”
Later, a statement from the club 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.”
A PFA statement after the game similarly condemned the incident.
It said: “Violence towards players is completely unacceptable. These types of incidents are happening far too often.
“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.
“As the players’ union we treat this as a priority issue.
“We will be continuing to work with the authorities to demand that players and staff are better protected in their place of work.”
A statement from the FA said: “We strongly condemn the incident involving a spectator that followed today’s Premier League fixture between Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal.
“This is wholly unacceptable behaviour and we will work together with the police, the relevant authorities and the clubs to ensure the appropriate action is taken.”
The Metropolitan Police told The Sun Online: “Following the Tottenham Hotspur v Arsenal match on Sunday, 15 January, police received a report of an assault on an Arsenal player after the end of the match.
“Enquiries are ongoing. There has been no arrest.”
Read More on The Sun
During the match a Hugo Lloris howler saw Arsenal take the lead, before Martin Odegaard added a second with a gorgeous strike from range.
Spurs improved after the break, but not enough to salvage a result against their table-topping neighbours.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
