Ian Wright has praised Bukayo Saka after fan footage showed an interaction with the Tottenham Hotspur fans during Sunday’s north London derby.

LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 28: Bukayo Saka of Arsenal acknowledges the fans after the team's victory during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal FC at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on April 28, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND: Bukayo Saka of Arsenal acknowledges the fans after the team’s victory during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal FC at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on April 28, 2024. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka was involved in a couple of interactions with the home support at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday, as Mikel Arteta’s team took on their north London rivals.

The incident appeared to begin as Saka lined up to take a corner in the 15th minute of the game. Spurs fans in the vicinity shouted abuse, before chanting “you let your country down” at the Arsenal winger.

Moments later, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg headed Saka’s corner into his own goal, and Saka turned to the Spurs fans with his hand cupped to his ear.

LONDON, ENGLAND: Bukayo Saka of Arsenal celebrates scoring his team's second goal during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal FC at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on April 28, 2024. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND: Bukayo Saka of Arsenal celebrates scoring his team’s second goal during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal FC at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on April 28, 2024. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)

Later in the game, Saka scored a goal of his own, and he again cupped his ears to the home support, sticking his tongue out and running in front of the fans that had previously mocked him.

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Arsenal won the match 3-2, and club legend Ian Wright admitted afterwards that he’d enjoyed the interaction.

“Do you know what I loved about Saka today, which I haven’t seen him do before?” Wright asked on the Wrighty’s House podcast (via TBR).

“The Tottenham fans were singing ‘you let your country down’ when he was taking the corner for the first goal and then the corner went in and when we scored he turned to them and cupped his ears.

“That’s what I want to see now. Levels.”

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - MARCH 19: Former Footballer Ian Wright looks on as they present on ITV Sport prior to the Emirates FA Cup Quarter Final match between Manchester United and Fulham at Old Trafford on March 19, 2023 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND: Ian Wright looks on as he presents on ITV Sport prior to the Emirates FA Cup Quarter Final match between Manchester United and Fulham at Old Trafford on March 19, 2023 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)

Arsenal fans certainly enjoyed the moment, but Saka wasn’t the only player to have a laugh at the expense of Spurs fans during the contest.

Declan Rice also got some abuse from the home support before a corner of his own, and he turned to those Spurs fans and cheered in their direction after Kai Havertz headed his cross into the net for 3-0.

The fans antagonising Rice quickly snuck back into the depths of the stands after the goal went in.

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