Neil Jones has come out in defence of Arsenal over the manner of their post-match celebrations following last Sunday’s win over Liverpool.
Jamie Carragher was far from impressed on Sky Sports when he saw Martin Odegaard taking a camera from a club photographer to capture the home fans’ euphoria after the final whistle, with the Gunners captain subsequently defending his actions.
Speaking to CaughtOffside for his latest column in the Daily Briefing, the journalist said he had no beef over the north Londoners’ post-match reaction, pointing to instances of statement wins for the Reds in recent years being greeted with gusto.
Jones wrote: “As someone who has covered Liverpool for 14 years, and particularly closely during Jurgen Klopp’s reign, I can speak to the importance of enjoying the journey as much as the destination.
“Some of the biggest celebrations I’ve seen at Liverpool games have been in the middle of a season – Aston Villa and Southampton away in 2019, Everton at home in 2018 – when we didn’t know what the future held and how important the three points would be. Nothing wrong with that, in my eyes.
“Arsenal’s players (and manager) may have milked it a bit after Sunday’s game, but it was a big win for them, and a real pressure-reliever too. It might not count for anything at the end of the season, but even if it doesn’t, they are entitled to celebrate a significant success, and it wasn’t as if they were doing so in front of the Liverpool fans or players.
“Let them celebrate, I say. And if you want to throw it back at them come the end of the season if they win nothing, then knock yourselves out!”
READ MORE: New statistics show that ‘LiVARpool’ jibes are woefully wide of the mark
In the immediate aftermath of the match last Sunday, it would’ve irked Liverpool fans to see Odegaard and Arsenal celebrating so wildly, considering that they’re still behind us in the table and that there are 15 matches remaining.
However, having had time to process the result, ‘celebration-gate’ is little more than a storm in a teacup, and you can be sure that both teams have moved on swiftly, with attentions turning towards their respective fixtures this coming weekend.
Maybe the optics of the post-match scenes at the Emirates Stadium four days ago weren’t great, but like Jones says, Reds supporters have had their own jubilant days out as well, including the examples he cited.
In football, a win yields three points irrespective of the opposition or the manner in which it was claimed, but some victories do feel like emphatic statements and carry a sense of being more than just a box being ticked.
Arsenal were within their rights to enjoy last Sunday, and it wasn’t as if they did it in the faces of Jurgen Klopp or Liverpool’s players, but both clubs can testify to the reality that – in Premier League terms – nothing is won in February.
There are still plenty more hurdles to be climbed if either side is to finally knock Manchester City off their perch.
#Ep100 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Neil Jones🎙️