Arsenal supporters aimed a brutal chant at Morgan Rogers after the Chelsea forward became involved in a heated clash with England teammate Declan Rice during Sunday’s Premier League showdown.
Rogers was visibly frustrated after Rice appeared to trip him off the ball as he attempted to make his way towards Arsenal’s penalty area. The Chelsea star reacted angrily, pointing towards Rice before pushing his England teammate. The two exchanged words as tensions rose, forcing their teammates to step in and separate them.
Rogers had earlier given Chelsea the lead, but Arsenal eventually turned the game around through Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard to secure a 2-1 victory. Rogers was shown a yellow card for his reaction to the incident with Rice.
The drama continued after Rogers was substituted in the 87th minute. Because he had to walk around the edge of the Emirates pitch to reach the substitutes’ bench, he found himself passing directly in front of thousands of Arsenal supporters.
The home fans took the opportunity to remind Rogers of his decision to join Chelsea rather than Arsenal. They directed an eight-word chant at him: “You should have signed for a big club.”
Interestingly, Rogers appeared to smile as he heard the chant.
Arsenal had reportedly been interested in signing the 24-year-old during the summer, but after weeks of speculation, Rogers ultimately completed a British-record £117 million transfer to Chelsea.
His booking for the confrontation with Rice also attracted criticism, with some observers arguing that the Chelsea forward had been provoked by the initial challenge. Sky Sports commentator Gary Neville questioned why Rice’s foul had not been spotted, while former Premier League referee Mark Halsey explained that the challenge would only have warranted a yellow card and therefore could not be reviewed by VAR.
The match also sparked another controversy, this time involving Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta. The Spaniard was repeatedly seen stepping outside his technical area and getting close to the pitch during the match.
Premier League rules introduced in the 2023-24 season state that only one person is permitted to stand at the front of the technical area and coach during a match. Managers such as Roberto De Zerbi and Matthias Jaissle have already been booked this season for breaching the rule, but Arteta escaped punishment during Arsenal’s victory.
With the Rogers-Rice confrontation, the supporters’ chant and Arteta’s touchline behaviour all making headlines, Arsenal’s win over Chelsea certainly provided plenty for fans to debate after the final whistle.
