One fan might have got too close to his Liverpool heroes when celebrating the Reds’ Liverpool’s opener in the 2-0 FA Cup win over Arsenal on Sunday, according to footage that has gone viral on social media.
The Gunners had dominated the first half of the encounter, but despite carving out a number of opportunities, poor finishing once again proved costly for the hosts as they failed to hit the target.
Liverpool were much improved in the second period, and with the tie looking destined for a replay, which neither side will have wanted, Trent Alexander-Arnold’s whipped-in free kick brought an own goal out of Jakub Kiwior.
The Reds understandably jubilantly celebrated the goal that looked set to have put them through to the next round in front of the away fans, but one supporter was quick to rush onto the field.
In a video that has done the rounds on social media, a fan can be seen joining the huddle of Liverpool players, before losing his hat in the process.
Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool beat Premier League title race rivals Arsenal 2-0 in the FA Cup
The fan was seen having his head slapped by Darwin Nunez as Liverpool celebrated their opener
Ibrahima Konate then pulled the supporter’s hat off and threw it away while laughing
The unidentified pitch invader is swept up in the huddle of purple shirts, before Darwin Nunez can be seen slapping the top of his head in celebration.
Seeing this, the arriving Ibrahima Konate then does the same, before ripping off the fan’s hate and throwing it away with a huge grin on his face.
The supporter seems not to care, though, and continues to celebrate with his team while stewards try to pull him away from the crowd.
Colombian star Luis Diaz also appears to shout something in the fan’s face from close range, seemingly annoyed by the incursion onto the pitch.
The Reds would score again through Diaz, with a rifled finish into the top corner to land the killer blow for Jurgen Klopp’s side and deny the Gunners any chance of a fightback.
While the visitors deserved their win on the balance of the game, the fact that the Gunners struggled so evidently in front of goal did not escape notice.
For Arsenal icon Martin Keown, Sunday’s defeat was perhaps the best example of his old side’s need to sign a top-quality finisher in the January transfer market, having now lost three on the bounce.
‘If ever a game underlined the deficiencies in front of goal from Arsenal that was it,’ the former Arsenal defender said after the game.
Mikel Arteta’s side have now lost three games on the bounce across all competitions
The Gunners came undone after consistently missing the target having created a number of chances in the first half
‘The approach play was excellent but I was surprised Kai Havertz wasn’t taken off early on.
He went on to add: ‘Arsenal had so many chances, this could have been a wonderful start for the Gunners. It felt as though you could have been there until midnight and Arsenal wouldn’t have scored.
‘It’s not just one player, it’s a group of players. To go into the market is the obvious thing to talk about. It was chance after chance. Liverpool only had two or three shots but they were more emphatic in front of goal.’
The Gunners had been linked with Brentford’s Ivan Toney this month, however given the fee the Bees are thought to be expecting and Arsenal’s need to sell, it would appear unlikely that a move might transpire.
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