Dele Alli hit with a bottle during North London derby
Tottenham faced Arsenal for the League Cup quarterfinals at the Emirates and came out victorious with a scoreline of 2-0 in their favor. Heung-min Son and Dele Alli netted the two goals for Spurs, but what happened in the 73rd minute of the match has left everyone talking. Alli was struck on the head with a bottle in the 73rd minute of the fixture.
Details of the incident as known thus far
Son scored an impressive goal off a lucid pass by Alli, and the England international himself netted the second goal in the next half with a chip over Gunners custodian Peter Cech. It was during his celebration that the unwarranted incident happened. Alli gestured 2-0 with his hands at the spectators when a bottle was thrown and struck him on the head.
Pochettino says fans need to be more careful
Spurs' manager Mauricio Pochettino, who has been linked with Manchester United of late, said they would have closed off the stadium gates at many countries for the incident. He said that such actions paint the North London derby in a bad light, and urged fans to be more careful and try to avoid such incidents. Luckily, Alli was caused no serious harm.
Aubameyang, Sterling, now Alli: What is wrong with London clubs?
A banana skin is thrown at Aubameyang, then Chelsea fans racially insult Raheem Sterling, and now Alli is hit with a bottle. Such unwarranted incidents happening in succession raises the question of what is actually wrong with these London clubs and their supporters: are they becoming more aggressive by the day? Intolerance seems to be growing globally; are these its offshoots in football?
How have Arsenal and Emery responded to the incident?
BBC Sport reports that Arsenal have told them they are closely looking at CCTV footage to find the perpetrator. Emery said he himself did not see the incident, but if it happened, "then it is not good behavior."
What next for the two teams?
Tottenham have proceeded to the semi-finals of the League Cup, which they will be playing against Chelsea, while the other semi-final will be played out between Manchester City and Burton Albion. Arsenal have a tough week ahead, where they will play against Burnley, Brighton, and Liverpool within seven days (December 22 to December 29). They are already under pressure after two successive losses.
