Arsenal’s official social media account posted a video of players signing a young fan’s shirt before Sunday’s Premier League match against West Ham.
However, some viewers criticized the players for not interacting with the girl.
In response, the father of the mascot who met the Arsenal players defended the team, addressing the claims of disrespect towards his daughter.
You can watch the footage below
Making memories with our mascot ❤️ pic.twitter.com/LjGWmzd2Vl
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) April 16, 2023
After the video was posted, Arsenal players were slammed by fans.
On said: “She’d have far better memories if one of them gave eye contact or were bothered to acknowledge the girl. Rude and entitled springs to mind!”
Another tweeted: “Not even a quick “hello”… if this is the sort of player-fan interaction you think is social media worthy, I dread to think how the players behave when the cameras aren’t rolling.”
Arsenal fan andtalkSPORTpresenter Laura Woods also expressed her disappointment.
She said: “I agree, it doesn’t take a lot just to acknowledge somebody with a smile.
“I think that video is quite symptomatic of football and footballers now.”
However, the father of the mascot has now defended the club and the players, stating that his daughter had a lovely time.
He wrote on Twitter: “My daughter had a lovely time as Mascot for @Arsenal.
“There was only a small window to meet the players and she enjoyed it very much. Odegaard is her favourite player so to hold his hand onto the pitch was very special.”
My daughter had a lovely time as Mascot for @Arsenal. There was only a small window to meet the players and she enjoyed it very much. Odegaard is her favourite player so to hold his hand onto the pitch was very special. pic.twitter.com/SXNTMK4Ab9
— JMurray (@muzzygoona) April 18, 2023
Arsenal missed a chance to stay in the hunt for their first Premier League title since the 2003-2004 season.
Gabriel Jesus and Martin Odegaard scored within the first ten minutes, giving the Gunners an early 2-0 lead.
However, they failed to keep their advantage, conceding goals to Said Benrahma and Jarrod Bowen.
The Hammers’ comeback earned them a well-deserved 2-2 draw. As a result, Arsenal are now just four points ahead of Manchester City, who have a game in hand.