Arsenal Skipper Per Mertesacker Refuses To Lift Emirates Cup Aloft

By The Editor
on 31st July 2017

Per Mertesacker looks to make a statement with Emirates Cup presentation…

?#EmiratesCup ? pic.twitter.com/x2k8XjPwWz

— Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) July 30, 2017

Arsenal skipper Per Mertesacker refused to lift the Emirates Cup aloft after we won the competition once again despite losing our second game against Sevilla on Sunday.

The Spanish giants won both games in the tournament, but the fact that teams are awarded extra points for goals scored meant our 5-2 win against Benfica was enough to retain the trophy.

However, similar to the situation in the ICC cup win against Bayern Munich – on that occasion, it was Petr Cech – Mertesacker chose to pose with the trophy instead of the traditional motion of lifting it aloft.

The awkwardness was palpable with the stadium announcer aiming to time his speech with Mertesacker lifting the trophy – but that moment never came.

It seems the senior members of the squad are fully aware of the external perception of Arsenal as well as the scepticism among fans about the players’ ambitions.

The German stalwart is entering his final year in football before heading up the Arsenal academy and will certainly want to go out on a high.