Arsenal teenager Myles Lewis-Skelly has angered Liverpool fans by not participating in a guard of honour in exactly the manner they would have liked.
Liverpool confirmed their second title of the Premier League era by thrashing Tottenham Hotspur at the end of last month and have been welcomed to the pitch through a guard of honour from their opponents for subsequent games.
But Lewis-Skelly. like Chelsea's Noni Madueke, elected not to buy into the overblown show of respect.
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The guard of honour has been a divisive issue in the Premier League in its relatively short history and has also hit the headlines in other major leagues.
As the Reds entered the field for this afternoon's meeting with second-placed Arsenal at Anfield, the 18-year-old appeared not to be clapping.
His gesture or lack thereof was immediately picked up on social media, where Liverpool fans lambasted him for snubbing their heroes.
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"Lewis-Skelly u won’t go far with that attitude. I am 100% sure u will be forgotten soon," parped one fan who's definitely been to Anfield on X, formerly Twitter.
"Lewis-Skelly didn’t clap during the guard of honor but I was told he’s just a very humble young lad," mused another.
One Red on X posted: "Lewis-Skelly is that kid who thought he was hardcore for not singing in primary school assembly."
"Stay humble eh Lewis-Skelly," zinged another.
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"Lewis-Skelly not clapping, teenager or not that’s extremely strange, needs to learn to be humble and show respect," was the extraordinary commentary from one Liverpool fanatic.
"Did Lewis-Skelly forget how to clap?" asked another, apparently believing that a show of respect carries any meaning whatsoever if it's enforced.
Elsewhere, Arsenal fans were asking the real questions. One asked: "Can Liverpool fans ever focus on themselves? They have just won the prem and they care more about if 18 year old Lewis-Skelly claps them. Just celebrate your title man."
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"Lewis-Skelly is a real one," wrote another Gooner after noticing the youngster's lack of limb dynamism.
Liverpool have just two guards of honour remaining in the 2024-25 season, first from Brighton & Hove Albion and then from Crystal Palace on the last day of the season.
We wait with bated breath to find out which of those players display such disrespect for the champions of England.
Topics: Premier League, Champions League, Arsenal, Liverpool
Chris Nee