Aaron Ramsdale Arsenal: Ex-Sheffield United man speaks out after being attacked by Tottenham Hotspur fan

Ramsdale had made a number of fine saves in the game as his side won 2-0 to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League to eight points. But the win was marred by unsavoury scenes after the final whistle, when Ramsdale appeared to be attacked by a Spurs fan who climbed on top of an advertising hoarding to aim a kick at the England international.

The incident sparked a small melee involving both sets of players and security staff from both clubs, with Ramsdale later telling Sky Sports that he felt a “punch” to the back.

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"The Spurs fans were giving me some in the second half and I gave some back,” the goalkeeper, who joined Arsenal in a £30m deal from the Blades after they were relegated from the Premier League, said.

"Then a fan jumped over and tried to give me a little punch on the back. That’s what happened and it’s a shame because it’s just a game of football at the end of the day. Both sets of players tried to bring me away and thankfully nothing too drastic actually happened. It leaves a sour taste but I’m sure we’ll enjoy it when we get back to the dressing room.”

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Spurs defender Eric Dier, an England teammate of Ramsdale, added: “There’s no place for it in football. I didn’t see it but it’s just unacceptable really there’s nothing more I can say other than that and it should never happen.”

A statement from the Professional Footballers’ Association read: “Violence towards players is completely unacceptable. These incidents happening far too often. Players have a right to be safe in their place of work. When a player is attacked, we expect the laws in place to protect players to be properly enforced.

“As the players’ union, we treat this as a priority issue. We will continue working with the authorities to demand that players and staff are better protected in their place of work.”

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