A Premier League official has confirmed that sanctions will be introduced for offensive celebrations, following an incident in the Arsenal vs Manchester City match during round 24 of the 2024-2025 season.
Arsenal player Miles Lewis Skelly mimicked the celebration of Manchester City striker Erling Haaland and clearly mocked him and his teammates after scoring a goal in his team’s 5-1 victory over the reigning champions at the Emirates Stadium.
Skelly’s actions followed an earlier confrontation with Haaland in the first-round match, when the Manchester City forward insulted him with bad words and the phrase “Who are you?” This incident attracted a lot of media attention at the time.
English Premier League imposes sanctions on offensive celebrations
The Premier League’s director of football, Tony Scholes, spoke to the press on Wednesday, stating that the league would take action against offensive celebrations that go too far, following the incident between Arsenal and Manchester City.
Offensive celebrations have become more common in the Premier League recently, such as Leicester City’s Jamie Vardy, who taunted Tottenham fans by pointing to the Premier League logo with the number 1, implying that he has won a title while Spurs have not.
Another example is Senegalese Iliman Ndiaye of Everton, who celebrated in front of Brighton fans by imitating a seagull, which is the club’s nickname and part of their logo. For this, he received a yellow card.
Scholes commented: “There has to be a balance in celebrations. While some celebrations are fun and entertaining, there must be limits. Once a celebration crosses the line into mockery, we will take action.”
Manchester United legend Gary Neville and Liverpool icon Jamie Carragher criticised Skelly’s mocking celebration of Haaland, calling it disrespectful. Meanwhile, Arsenal legend Theo Walcott defended the player, saying that Skelly wasn’t afraid of Haaland.
The battle for the Premier League title has heated up this season, with Liverpool leading on 60 points and Arsenal closely following in second place with 56 points. Meanwhile, Chelsea and Manchester City are struggling, sitting in fourth and fifth place respectively.
