Arsenal Fan Criticised After Taunting Man Utd Wonderkid JJ Gabriel
An Arsenal supporter has faced a huge backlash online after sharing a video showing Manchester United’s teenage sensation JJ Gabriel.
Gabriel, who has been dubbed “Kid Messi” because of his exceptional ability, made history this summer by becoming United’s youngest-ever player. He featured in a pre-season clash against Atlético Madrid at just 15 years and 299 days old.
The England Under-17 star will not turn 16 until October, yet he is already being tipped as a player who could soon make his breakthrough into Manchester United’s senior side.
However, the youngster has also experienced one of the less pleasant sides of becoming a high-profile footballer.
After agreeing to take a selfie with an Arsenal fan, Gabriel was unexpectedly told by the supporter: “Max Dowman’s better than you, bro.”
The incident quickly spread online, with Manchester United fans condemning the Arsenal supporter while also praising Gabriel for remaining composed.
One fan described the footage as “absolutely disgusting” and said their respect for Gabriel had increased after watching him respond with a fist bump.
Another questioned why an adult would deliberately provoke a child, while another labelled the incident embarrassing and accused the supporter of using a young player for online attention.
A fourth fan simply said: “People take this online thing too far. He’s a kid, man.”
Viktor Gyokeres Makes His Community Shield Stance Clear
Arsenal will begin their new campaign against FA Cup winners Manchester City in the Community Shield after lifting the Premier League title last season.
Although the fixture traditionally serves as the curtain-raiser for the new English football season, some supporters regard it as little more than a pre-season friendly because it is not considered one of the major trophies.
Viktor Gyokeres, however, appeared surprised when asked whether he viewed the match in that way.
When a Sky Sports reporter asked if he would “treat it as a friendly”, the Arsenal striker looked puzzled before replying: “As a friendly, what do you mean?”
Gyokeres then made his position perfectly clear, insisting Arsenal would be determined to win.
He said there was no doubt that the team wanted to win the game, regardless of how others viewed the competition.
His reaction sparked plenty of debate online. While some continued to dismiss the Community Shield as a glorified friendly, others backed Gyokeres and argued that the trophy deserves to be taken seriously.
One supporter pointed out that the Community Shield is still a trophy, even if it is not considered a major one, while another noted that similar competitions across Europe are commonly known as the Super Cup.
Gyokeres certainly appeared to have no intention of treating the match as a casual fixture.
