Ramsdale confirms altercation with Spurs fan after derby win

LONDON: Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale said he was attacked by a fan just after his side had earned a 2-0 victory in a fiery North London derby with Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Sunday (Jan 15).

Ramsdale was man-of-the-match as he kept Tottenham at bay time and again and also clashed with several Spurs players during the match.

Spurs' Brazilian forward Richarlison had an altercation with Ramsdale after the final whistle, before a Tottenham supporter seemed to climb on the pitchside advertising boards and kick the 24-year-old.

"The Spurs fans gave me some throughout the game," Ramsdale told Sky Sports. "I was giving some back. The people I did give it to greeted it in sportsmanlike terms but one fan tried to give me a little punch on the back.

"It is a shame as it is just a game of football at the end of the day. Both sets of players tried to bring me away but thankfully nothing too drastic happened. It is a sour taste but I'm sure we will enjoy it when we go back into the dressing room."

The Metropolitan Police said that enquiries were ongoing and no arrest had been made.

The English Football Association said they "strongly condemn" the incident of "wholly unacceptable behaviour", while the Professional Footballers' Association added that these instances were happening too often.

"Players have a right to be safe in their place of work," the PFA said in a statement. "When a player is attacked, we expect the laws in place to protect players to be properly enforced.

"As the players' union, we treat this as a priority issue. We will continue working with the authorities to demand that players and staff are better protected in their place of work."

Spurs pledged to take action in a statement released shortly after the