A 19-year-old man has been arrested after allegedly verbally abusing Manchester United midfielder Mason Mount during the Premier League match against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed in a statement to The Athletic that the individual had been a member of the crowd at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium but was removed after it was claimed he had been overheard making the alleged offensive comment by a member of staff, who reported it to the police.
The fan was arrested on Saturday on suspicion of “intentionally causing harassment, alarm or distress” and has been bailed pending further enquiries, with the investigation ongoing.
In a statement to The Athletic, Tottenham said they were supporting the police investigation and would take “the strongest possible action” against any supporter found to have used discriminatory language.
“The club is aware of a supporter being arrested for alleged verbal abuse of an opposition player during Saturday’s Premier League fixture against Manchester United,” read Spurs’ statement.
“Prior to the game, all ticket holders received guidance regarding discriminatory chanting and, specifically, homophobic chanting.
“We will now support Met Police in their investigation and, once concluded, any supporter found to have used discriminatory language will be a subject to the strongest possible action in accordance with our Sanctions and Banning Policy. We will also ensure they take part in a fan education programme.
“We work tirelessly with all our supporters’ associations to ensure a welcoming and inclusive environment for all fans on matchdays, and have a zero tolerance approach to all forms of discrimination.”
Mount, who was not aware of the abuse, played 19 minutes of the 2-2 draw after coming on for Matheus Cunha with the score 1-0 to the away side.
United have previously addressed offensive chants from fans, particularly those aimed towards players from Mount’s former side Chelsea. In September the club issued a statement outlining their zero-tolerance policy towards “Chelsea rent boy” chants, after the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) confirmed in 2022 it considered the term a homophobic slur.
Mount has made 55 appearances for United since moving to Old Trafford from Chelsea in a deal worth up to £60million ($75.7m) in 2023.