Former England striker Gary Lineker has criticised a section of Arsenal fans for their reaction following the 0-0 draw against Everton
Former England striker Gary Lineker has criticised a section of Arsenal fans for their reaction to the team’s recent dip in Premier League form. The Gunners are coming off a frustrating 0-0 draw against Everton, a match where the visitors deployed a deep defensive setup to secure a point.
The result marked Arsenal’s second consecutive league draw, leaving Mikel Arteta’s side trailing behind title rivals Liverpool and Chelsea. With Arsenal’s title hopes seemingly slipping away, frustration has been mounting among some supporters at the Emirates Stadium.
Lineker, speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast, expressed his disappointment with the way certain Arsenal fans criticized their players, particularly on social media.
“Do you ever see that Arsenal TV thing?” Lineker asked. “Sometimes I get clips come up on Instagram or whatever, and goodness me, some of the fans were laying into their players. You think, ‘Crikey.’ Like viciously—it was horrible.”
The former Tottenham striker added that such harsh criticism is unlikely to help the team. “I don’t know how they think that’s going to help if you’re slaughtering your own players to that degree, especially when they’re clearly giving everything week in, week out. It’s not easy playing against a team that sits with ten men behind the ball for the entire game.”
Lineker also defended Everton’s approach, praising their defensive organisation. “I don’t blame them [Everton] for going to Arsenal and trying to eke out a point. They did a really good job of it defensively.”
Arsenal’s recent struggles come during a period of heightened expectations for the club. After a resurgence under Arteta and near-misses in the title race over the past few seasons, fans are still adjusting to the pressures of competing at the top.
The Gunners, however, remain in contention across multiple competitions and will look to reignite their campaign as they face Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals on Wednesday.