Arsenal’s celebrations after beating Fulham were made fun of, but Laura Woods is not having any of it.
The Gunners grabbed a comeback 2-1 win against their London rivals at the Emirates, maintaining their 100 per cent record in the Premier League.
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The way the win happened, with defender Gabriel scoring the winning goal after his mistake had given the Cottagers the lead, caused chaos on the field and in the stands.
But quickly, pundits like Richard Keys and Andy Gray and fans of the other team were talking about what they had seen in north London.
The “celebration police” are trying to take the fun out of football, but Woods, who is a huge Arsenal fan, has a strong opinion against them.
In a perfectly accurate tirade, she said, “Hold on, Arsenal fans, because you’re not allowed to cheer. Richard Keys and Andy Gray say this is true.
“I wrote about it on Twitter over the weekend because it really bothers me. To be honest, it wasn’t just those two who said it. It’s something a lot of people say.
“I don’t know what this means. I don’t understand why we can’t celebrate wins all of a sudden.
“Let me explain why we had a party. Arsenal has won all four of its games. You’re also missing Thomas Partey and Oleksandr Zinchenko, who were important to that win. Even though Fulham is against it.
“Look, at this point last season, we were taking bets on Arsenal getting relegated and Mikel Arteta losing his job, and the phrase “Arteta Out” was trending most weeks.
“I’m not sure if the party was because they beat Fulham and came from behind to win. I think it could have been a lot of things at once. There’s probably also a lot of relief about how Mikel Arteta has turned that club around.
“You heard those people say that the only team you’ve actually beaten is Fulham, but last year at this time, Arsenal lost those games to Chelsea and Man City. Chelsea had just won the European Cup, and Manchester City had just won the league. So, come on. Give us a break for a minute. Give us a chance.
“I also think a big part of it is rebuilding this team and the relationship with the fans, which was very important to Mikel Arteta. That was one of the most important things.
“That fanbase’s relationship with the club and the players on the field has been really bad at times. It hasn’t been great, so the fact that they are celebrating so much after beating Fulham is a good sign for me. That’s awesome.
“That shows that your fans are really interested in what you do and that they like what they see. It’s not just about who you beat.” It’s about how you play football and the position you put yourselves in.
“Most fans don’t know this as well as Arsenal fans do. We have been a “banter club” for a while. Since 2004, we haven’t won the league. A long time has passed.
“No one thinks we’ll win the league this year. We’re just enjoying it while we can, because everyone knows that in the Premier League, your next loss is just around the corner.
“Yes, they are beating the teams in front of them, but look at how they gave up at the end of last season and didn’t make the top four. They lost to teams they shouldn’t have lost to and beat teams they shouldn’t have beaten. Anything can happen in the Premier League. It’s soccer. Just take advantage of it while you can.
“If we start fining everyone for celebrating anything, you can’t celebrate a goal in the game, just in case you lose that game. You can’t be happy about a win if you might not win the league.
“Don’t rain on peoples’ parades. People pay money to go see football games. They pay to get subscriptions so they can watch it on TV. Then, on the weekend, they hang out with their friends, talk about how great they are, go out for drinks, and have fun. That is exactly what the story is about.
“If you can’t celebrate, don’t do it. And if someone says, “Wait a minute, that’s a bit much. That looks like a Premier League celebration. Why are you celebrating like you won the league?” that’s not fun.
“We’re just happy because we won a game. It’s important to someone. Get over it. Get over it, guys.”
