Tottenham star Richarlison brutally mocks Arsenal after their Champions League final defeat to PSG.
Football in North London is never just about football. It’s history, it’s culture, it’s the question of who you are.
In a year where the contrast between Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal has been riddled with irony and contradiction, it is never wrong for our players and fans to take a dig at them and find some comfort when there’s an opportunity. And Tottenham star Richarlison wasted no time riling up Arsenal fans following Saturday’s Champions League final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.
Arsenal took the lead through Kai Havertz very early in the game, but a second-half penalty from Ousmane Dembele forced the game into extra time. The match had to be decided by penalties following a 1-1 draw after the end of 120 minutes, and PSG won 4-3.
Gabriel had the chance to make it 4-4 and send the shootout to sudden death, but he blazed his penalty over the crossbar to hand PSG back-to-back Champions League titles.
Richarlison trolls Arsenal after Champions League final defeat
Gabriel wasn’t the only Arsenal that missed a penalty in the shootout. Eberechi Eze was also the guilty party, putting his penalty well wide after his stuttering run-up. The Gunners had the opportunity to cap off a dream season by winning the Champions League, but key players like Gabriel and Eze failed to keep their nerves in decisive moments.
In the aftermath of Arsenal’s penalty shootout defeat to PSG, Richarlison took to Instagram to banter the cross-town rivals. He shared a meme showing a young boy sobbing before suddenly bursting into laughter.
It is not the first time Richarlison has exchanged spirited jabs with Gabriel. When Spurs beat the Gunners in a pre-season friendly last year, Richarlison tagged Gabriel and uploaded a picture of himself holding a man of the match award on Instagram. The Arsenal defender snapped by uploading a picture of the three man of the match awards he has picked up against Tottenham. After Arsenal’s 4-1 win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in February, Gabriel uploaded a picture of himself holding a hand of cards with the four of hearts.
However, for now, Richarlison has had the final laugh when it comes to the social media feud between him and his Brazilian compatriot.