Arsenal fans are convinced Viktor Gyokeres took a sly dig at Mikel Arteta during the 2025 Ballon d'Or ceremony at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris on Monday evening.
Gyokeres was named the best striker of 2025 at the ceremony, as he took home the Gerd Müller award ahead of the likes of Erling Haaland, Harry Kane, and Kylian Mbappe.
It came after the Swedish international was mocked on the red carpet in Paris by a Chelsea fan who filmed the bizarre interaction.
Despite leaving Lisbon in controversial fashion over the summer, Gyokeres was quick to thank his former club during his acceptance speech.
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"Thanks to everyone at Sporting who has made this possible," Gyokeres said.
"We had a fantastic season with both league and cup titles, and incredible memories that were created. Standing here tonight feels wonderful.
"I have always had a hunger to score goals and this is a nice recognition," he added.
Following his win, Gyokeres headed down for media duties, where he was asked what makes the perfect striker.
"A lot of factors. Obviously you have to play in a team where you create chances, get chances, connect with the team. After that it's desire to score, it's really important," he explained.
The 27-year-old's response quickly gained traction on social media, with many Arsenal fans claiming the striker's reply was an indirect dig at his new manager.
One fan wrote: "Arteta needs to bring out the lightbulbs to let them stay connected."
Another added: "If those were his words, it’s a massive dig at Arteta."
A third fan replied: "This is a great diplomatic and humble response to the coward Arteta."
A fourth Arsenal fan claimed: "Bro lowkey talking about Arsenal's lack of creativity. Fairs"
This comes after Arteta faced heavy criticism for his conservative starting lineup against Manchester City on Sunday, with both Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher agreeing the Gunners need to 'take the handbrake off'.
The 2025 Men's Ballon d'Or top 10
Ousmane Dembélé (PSG)
Lamine Yamal (BAR)
Vitinha (PSG)
Mohamed Salah (LIV)
Raphinha (BAR)
Achraf Hakimi (PSG)
Kylian Mbappé (RMA)
Cole Palmer (CHE)
Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG)
Nuno Mendes (PSG)
Tom Jenkins