Why claims of Arsenal 'over-celebrating' Liverpool win are stupid

Arsenal came under fire for claims of over-celebration after beating Liverpool, a worrying new trend in football.

When Arsenal recorded a substantial 3-1 win against Liverpool, supporters, players and Mikel Arteta rejoiced and made their sheer elation known to the world.

The result of the game was the difference between either an eight-point or two-point gap between the Gunners and the league leaders, making the result a possibly season-defining one, with it clear why Arsenal were so thrilled to have won, and in such a dominant manner too.

But according to some fans, legends of the game and some of football's highest-paid pundits, these celebrations were over the top and in poor taste.

Just read that again.

There were no flares, fighting or chaotic scenes, yet the seemingly common consensus in the immediate aftermath of the game was one of apparent embarrassment towards the north Londoners.

While watching Arsenal's celebrations unfold, Liverpool legend and Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher seemed particularly annoyed with Martin Odegaard taking a photograph of long-time photographer Stuart MacFarlane enjoying the moment on the Emirates pitch.

"You've won a game, just get down the tunnel!" Carragher commented, clearly indicating that Arsenal's joy was OTT.

A worrying trend

Unfortunately, this is not the first time that a club, not just Arsenal, have been criticised for their celebrations after an important win, and it feels like a disturbing trend in the wrong direction for the sport.

Football is about passion, desire and fight, so it is only natural to be ecstatic with such positive results.

During international tournaments, scenes of fans launching gallons of beer onto the edge of the stratosphere are plastered across social media, chaotic scenes as fans rejoiced filled even many non-football fans with a feeling of pride and joy, but at club level we are told that much tamer scenes are a step too far.

Obviously there is a line. At times, particularly on the international stage, there are some fan groups, and an obsolete minority of these fans, who do truly embarrass themselves and claim that violence, destruction and abuse are methods of celebration - which is categorically wrong.

But while we can strongly condemn such abhorrent scenes, let me remind you that Odegaard and Arteta's 'discrepancies' were holding a camera, and fist-pumping the crowd - a far cry from the aforementioned incidents.

Why the negativity?

Pundits are paid large volumes of money for the audiences that they can bring in, so it should come as no surprise to see said pundits offering sensationalised opinions with the sole intention of getting people talking which, to their credit, has been a roaring success.

For me, this is a real source of frustration and is a worrying new trend which undermines punditry and is leading to increased toxicity within the football community, particularly online - something which I'm sure you have noticed.

It is just more proof that profit is the driving factor behind most of the content that we consume - which is a sorry summary of the current state of football.

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