Yannick Bolasie Reveals Palace Coaches Questioned His Desire To Beat Boyhood Club Arsenal

By The Editor
on 1st March 2024

Bolasie is a massive Gooner…

Former Crystal Palace winger Yannick Bolasie revealed that Tony Pulis’ coaching staff once questioned his desire to win against his boyhood club Arsenal during a Premier League clash, the Congolese star told the Filthy Fellas podcast.

Bolasie, who has been more vocal on social media about his support for the club since exiting the Premier League, narrated an anecdote from his days at Selhurst Park.

During a game in which Arsenal won, the Palace coaching staff were unhappy at Bolasie’s perceived reluctance to run and torment the Arsenal defence.

On one occasion, the winger said he dribbled past Mikel Arteta and decided to cross the ball, though the coaches wanted him to continue his run and commit more defenders.

“I remember when we lost against Arsenal one of my coaches said: ‘Nah, he’s an Arsenal supporter, that’s why he was timid’,” Bolasie said.

“Do you know why the coach was fuming? He saw that in front of me was Mikel Arteta and Cazorla. I must’ve ducked past Mikel and man had Santi in front…and then I put the cross in. The manager went mad at man – Tony Pulis went mad!

“He said: ‘Why ain’t you going at him! Look at your power and strength!'”

If Bolasie’s memory is accurate, then the game in question is a 2014 clash at the Emirates Stadium, which saw us run out 2-0 winners, thanks to an Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain brace.

Bolasie revealed that those words spurred him on every time he played against Arsenal in the following campaigns, and one wonders how many Premier League stars are highly driven against us to compensate for their boyhood support.

No former Premier League striker caused us more pain than Didier Drogba, and he too admitted last week that he was an Arsenal supporter growing up which motivated his performance levels against us.