- Arsenal drew 1-1 with Liverpool, but a video of their mascot has emerged online
- It is the second time the Gunners have come under fire over mascot treatment
- Arsenal and Liverpool are Man City's biggest challengers, but will the champions find another gear? Listen to It's All Kicking Off
Arsenal's footballers have come under fire again for their treatment of young mascots after footage of their pre-kick-off routine away at Liverpool was posted online this week.
The footage shows the Christmas Premier League leaders preparing for their 1-1 draw with Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday, but with their accompanying mascot left alone in the center circle.
The young boy, who was led onto the pitch with Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard, is seen alone before returning to the game-oriented players in their half of the pitch.
In April, Arsenal's players were branded 'entitled, overpaid and rude' after the club shared footage of them 'ignoring' a young mascot as they signed her shirt before the 2-2 draw against West Ham.
The video showed manager Mikel Arteta and his players walking past eight-year-old Olivia Murray and writing on the replica top, but apparently not recognizing the youngster as she looked at them admiringly.
Arsenal's young mascot was seen alone in the center circle in an online video as the Gunners players focused on their preparations for the match against Liverpool
The young mascot later joined his heroes in their half of the pitch before the match
And now the table-topping Gunners are once again coming under fire from commentators online.
In comments on a post on TikTok, a fan wrote: 'is this the same club where players walked straight past the fans with headphones on?'
Another said: 'Imagine you were an Arsenal fan how disappointed would you be,' while another commented adding: 'It's not the first time you've dissed mascots, it's basic human feelings, nothing difficult to do'.
At the time of the previous incident, Arsenal fans, including Piers Morgan and now TNT Sports presenter Laura Woods, were quick to criticize the Gunners' behaviour.
But some supporters claim the video of Saturday's match at Anfield is not a true reflection of the mascot's day.
One wrote: 'They're playing the biggest game of the season so far, let the players concentrate, I guarantee he had pictures and autographs in the dressing room.'
Saturday's match was one of the most important of the Premier League season so far, with Arsenal and Liverpool joining champions Manchester City as two of this season's title contenders.
Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard previously appeared to ignore a young mascot in images shared by the club
Arsenal fan Piers Morgan was among many who took to Twitter to criticize the club for the video
On Arsenal's website about being a mascot they say: 'As a mascot, your Junior Gunner will have the opportunity to lead their heroes onto the pitch in front of thousands of cheering supporters.
'They will also get exclusive access behind the scenes, from watching the players warm-up to meeting the first team on the pitch and soaking up the atmosphere of the match.'
Mohamed Salah canceled out Gabriel's early opener to see the match end in a 1–1 draw, putting Arsenal top of the table at Christmas.