Arsenal Caution Four Players Over Lockdown Violation
Four Arsenal players have received some tongue-lashing from the club’s management after photos emerged of their flouting social distancing rules amid the countrywide lockdown, with the coronavirus pandemic still in full force around the globe.
The quartet, Nicolas Pepe, Alexandre Lacazette, David Luiz and Granit Xhaka have also reminded of their responsibilities as people continue to flout the government-imposed rules during lockdown
The foursome ran into stormy waters, with club-record signing and Ivory Coast international, Pepe having been filmed playing football with several friends in north London, even as he shared footage of another game with friends on Instagram.
Centre-back Luiz and midfielder Xhaka were seen together in Southgate, while Lacazette was caught on camera standing very close to a car valeter, who had been brought in to clean the striker’s Audi in his driveway.
Lacazette’s actions sparked questions as to whether hiring such a service was essential in the current lockdown.
An Arsenal spokesperson, who confirmed the various incidents, told The Sun : “Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We will be speaking to our players.
“We were concerned so we have spoken to Nicolas, who shares a house with a number of relatives who were involved in this game. We have reminded him of the importance of everyone following the guidelines.”
Pepe had casually joined in a match at Colingdale’s Graham Park on April 15, with police later closing off the astroturf pitch following complaints from locals.
For Luiz and Xhaka, they had reportedly been kicking a ball about between themselves on Tuesday near Oakwood Station in Southgate, north London.
The Gunners” foursome are not the only Premiership players to have been called out for flouting the government-imposed rules. Cross-city rivals, Tottenham Hotspur recently saw Serge Aurier and Moussa Sissoko offer an apology for breaking social distancing guidelines in a training video shared on social media.
Jose Mourinho was also in the headlines after taking Tanguy Ndombele for training in a park , while Davinson Sanchez and Ryan Sessegnon were spotted together in a separate training session.
Elsewhere in the Premier League, Manchester City’s Kyle Walker apologised for his actions in the wake of throwing a reported ‘sex party’, while Aston Villa captain Jack Grealish has been lambasted for reportedly crashing his car despite having urged the public to stay indoors. – Goal.com
