Topics: Arsenal, Villarreal, Football, Premier League, Mikel Arteta, Fan Reactions
Arsenal fans booed an opposition player during their pre-season friendly with Villarreal - and fans have realised the reason why.
The Gunners lost 3-2 to the Spanish side at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday.
Christian Norgaard scored his first goal for the club since arriving from Brentford, while Martin Odegaard netted from the penalty spot.
But goals from ex-Arsenal winger Nicolas Pepe, former Tottenham forward Arnaut Danjuma and striker Etta Eyong were enough for the visitors.
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Gunners boss Mikel Arteta slammed his side's defending as 'naive', and added: "Especially the way we have defended in open spaces and that's something that, especially the way we play, we have to absolutely nail. Today we haven't been good at all in that department and that has cost us the game for sure."
As well as Pepe and Danjuma, there were other familiar faces to fans of the north London club, with ex-Tottenham defender Juan Foyth making an appearance off the bench.
But fans noticed how another player that received boos when he emerged as a late substitute.
Ex-Barcelona midfielder Denis Suarez was jeered by small sections of the home support after coming on to the pitch on 77 minutes.
He then missed a penalty in the resulting shootout that took place even though Villarreal won the game.
The Spaniard had a loan spell at Arsenal in 2019, having signed in January of that year.
However, Suarez was largely disappointing at the Emirates Stadium and made just six appearances in all competitions.
His lack of success didn't stop Arsenal from targeting Spanish La Liga midfielders on loan, though, and summer 2019 loan arrival Dani Ceballos, from Real Madrid, had more of an impact during his eventual two-year stint in north London.
It is worth noting that Pepe, who was at one stage Arsenal's club-record signing, was also booed by supporters on Wednesday.
Reacting to the boos, one fan said: "Why we even booing Pepe? That guy didn't do anything to warrant it."
A second countered: "The weirder one was people booing Denis Suarez. So random."
A third wrote: "They booing Denis Suarez. Who even cares to do that?"
And a fourth, perhaps tellingly, admitted: "The lad behind me didn't even know it was Denis Suarez, he thought it was Juan Foyth."
Arsenal have another pre-season friendly on Saturday when they take on Athletic Bilbao for the Emirates Cup, before travelling to Old Trafford to take on Manchester United in their opening Premier League fixture on August 17.
