English football giants Arsenal are struggling to make an impact in the ongoing season of the English Premier League (EPL). Meanwhile, they came up with a lacklustre performance against Leeds United on Sunday, as striker Nicolas Pépé was at the receiving end of an unwanted incident.
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The Gunners were up against The Peacocks at Elland Road, as the match ended in a goalless draw. However, the highlight of the game was when Pépé was shown a red card during 51st minute, following his brawl against Ezgjan Alioski.
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Although Pépé’s over-reaction received sharp criticism, former Manchester United defender Patrice Evra said that Alioski“deserves an Oscar” for over-acting. Unfortunately, both Pépé and Alioski have been victims of racial abuse and threats on social media, following the draw.
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Nonetheless, Arsenal has condemned the very attack on both the players, stating that they would be mulling strict action against the culprits. “We utterly condemn the vile abuse directed at Nicolas Pepe and Ezgjan Alioski on social media following our match against Leeds United. This is completely unacceptable and we will be working with the police and authorities to do everything we can to trace and prosecute the culprits,” the club said in a release.
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Even Leeds came up with similar information, affirming “The vile abuse directed at Ezgjan Alioski and Nicolas Pepe on social media after yesterday’s Premier League game with Arsenal will not be tolerated by Leeds United. We will work closely with the police and the footballing authorities to ensure those responsible are identified and punished.”
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Moreover, Pépé is now all set to miss out on three EPL matches for the side, owing to his violent conduct. Besides, club manager Mikel Arteta, too, expressed his disappointment with the Ivorian, especially nature and manner in which he acted.
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“It is unacceptable. I’ve spoken to him; it is unacceptable. I really like the personality of the team. When Pepe let the team down, how we suffered together and stuck to what we had to do,” said Arteta after the game.
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“We knew the level of intensity, aggression and how alive they are in every action and you have to be able to deal with that because it’s part of the plan against this team. You have to be able to handle this situation,” Arteta concluded.
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