Everton’s Thierno Barry has blasted fan behaviour in Saturday’s away end as “not acceptable”, claiming his friends were attacked at the Arsenal match.
Following Everton’s 2-0 defeat to Arsenal on Saturday, Everton striker Thierno Barry shared a video on his Instagram story of fights in the away end, with punches clearly being thrown.
Barry then shared a statement about the events that occurred during the latter stages of the game.
“This kind of behaviour is not acceptable in a stadium,” Barry wrote. “I bring my friends to enjoy a game, and it gets ruined by a few silly people.
“Football should be a place where everyone feels safe and respected. This type of attitude has no place in the game and is simply not tolerated in football.
“My friends and the people who were attacked had to be escorted by the Arsenal club’s security staff as well as the police because of fears of retaliation from our supporters.”
The BBC report that the Metropolitan Police say no serious injuries were reported, there have been no arrests, and they’re working with the clubs to identify those involved.
Everton say they’re aware of the incident and will review the circumstances surrounding it, looking to “work with the relevant authorities to establish the facts and take any appropriate action”.
Arsenal are yet to comment on the clash, though it’s worth stressing again that the scenes occurred in the Everton end. The Gunners’ ability to take retrospective action will likely be hampered by the fact it wasn’t their supporters involved.
There have been unconfirmed rumours circulating on social media that Barry’s invitees had celebrated Arsenal’s goals, leading to the clash. That would certainly explain the anger, but it wouldn’t justify the physical nature of the spat.
The police and the two clubs will now work to resolve the matter.