Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal may have regained their place at the top of the Premier League table for 2025/26 with a 1-0 win at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Saturday night, but the occasion was marred by a number of their away supporters chanting “Feed the Scousers”.
It only took a penalty from Viktor Gyökeres to open and end the scoring away from home, as they passed Manchester City to the top spot. Earlier in the day, Pep Guardiola’s men had collected all three points from a 3-0 win over West Ham United at home at the Etihad Stadium. Two of the goals (and one assist) were by Erling Haaland who has now scored more Premier League goals than Cristiano Ronaldo 🔥🤯 – He has done it in 122 fewer games 🤖
Stats: 2025/26 is the fifth season Arsenal are at the top of the Premier League table on Boxing Day (also in 2002/03, 2007/08, 2022/23 & 2023/24), but they have failed to win the title in any of the previous four.
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After Jake O’Brien was convicted of playing the ball with his hand in the box, Arsenal’s Gyökeres took charge and scored on the penalty kick – and his goal was enough for the victory. But what should have been a joyous evening for the north London club was marred by the fans who showed themselves in a bad light.
It wasn’t exactly a top performance from Arsenal, who celebrated Arteta’s six years – which has resulted in just one major trophy – on the bench of the Emirates Stadium. William Saliba can also, perhaps, consider himself lucky that VAR stuck to Samuel Barrott’s original decision not to award a penalty.
The Frenchman’s swing and boom connected to the bottom of Thierno Barry’s boot, and he fell to the ground, writhing in pain. Those who operated the VAR judged that “the contact from Saliba on Barry was not sufficient for a penalty”, and the game resumed to the sound of “Feed the Scousers” every now and then.
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During the match on the blue half of Merseyside, a selection of members of the Gunners’ away party chose to mock the hungry and homeless in Liverpool by singing the disgusting song, which is intended to mock poverty and hint at historical hardship in the city.
Everton’s response was smart, however, as they displayed the logo of the organization ‘Fans Supporting Foodbanks’ on the big screen inside the Hill Dickinson stadium. The organisation ‘Fans Supporting Foodbanks’ is run jointly by two major Liverpool and Everton supporters’ clubs, as they put aside their football differences as a way to tackle hunger problems within the city.
“Arsenal fans chant ‘feed the Scousers’ and Everton displayed the logo of Fans Supporting Foodbanks on the screen immediately after. Class from Everton. Completely embarrassing from the Arsenal fans who sing that. Solidarity with Foodbanks. Hunger doesn’t know club colours,” wrote Caoimhe O’Neill of The Athletic.
The chant itself was met with counter-shouts around the rest of the stadium, with one fan writing in response to the aforementioned post: “Superb response from Everton. Shameful from the Arsenal fans.”
The “Feed the Scousers” song has been around since 1984, when Band Aid recorded “Feed the World”, which raised £8 million for the starving in Africa, but even 41 years later, the disgusting cries still ring through stadiums across the country when either Liverpool or Everton are playing.
Arsenal will have to step up under the pressure from Manchester City.
In terms of matters on the pitch, Arsenal will need to improve if they are to maintain their place at the top of the table. City are now able to keep up with them after a difficult start to the season – and the fact that the Gunners won against Everton thanks to a penalty is not a good sign for the future.
Gyökeres will have to offer more as a pure striker if the Gunners are to run towards glory for the first time since the 2003/04 season, because the difference between the Swede and Erling Haaland is extraordinarily large, and it could be the difference between ecstasy and misery in May.
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Arsenal fans have criticised a player’s performance in their 1-0 win against Everton.
They can also thank their lucky star for Barrott waving away all calls for a penalty after Saliba’s poor reading of the situation, before those at Stockley Park agreed with his assessment. Next up for Arsenal is to host Crystal Palace at the Emirates on December 23 in the League Cup.
