“Gonna have PTSD after today” – Fans react as Arsenal star gets ‘spun’ by Newcastle forward before being injured

Football fans have taken to social media to troll Arsenal defender Takehiro Tomiyasu after he struggled to cope with Newcastle United's Allan Saint-Maximin.

The Gunners are currently in action against Eddie Howe's side in the Premier League at St. James' Park. The scoreline read 0-0 at half-time, with the visitors struggling to get a grip on the game.

Arsenal suffered a major blow when Tomiyasu went off injured in the first 45 minutes of the match. The Japan international was replaced by Cedric Soares in the 39th-minute of the fixture.

Tomiyasu appeared to injure his hamstring following a duel with Saint-Maximin. The 23-year-old was entirely beaten by the Newcastle forward on the edge of the box and hurt himself in the process.

While the defender was eventually forced off the pitch, social media can be an unforgiving space. Football fans on Twitter have taken the opportunity to ridicule Tomiyasu for struggling against Saint-Maximin before going off injured.

It is worth noting that Saint-Maximin went on to have a shot on target after beating Tomiyasu. The Frenchman smacked a low shot towards the bottom corner, but Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale was up to the task.

Meanwhile, it remains to be seen if Tomiyasu has sustained a serious injury. The defender, who joined the Gunners from Bologna for around £17 million last summer, made 23 appearances across all competitions for the club.

Can Arsenal beat Newcastle away from home?

The Gunners were not at their best in the first half against Newcastle. Mikel Arteta's side were restricted to just one shot on target during the first 45 minutes of the match.

A win at St. James' Park today would see Arsenal move into fourth place in the Premier League table. Failing to earn a victory would see them sit at least one point behind fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur going into the final match of the season.

The ongoing match against Newcastle is thus a hugely important one for the north London giants. They remain hopeful of qualifying for the UEFA Champions League for the first time since 2016.

Meanwhile, the Magpies have been in fine form at home recently. They have won six of their last seven Premier League matches at St. James' Park.

About the author

Dakir is a European and Indian football journalist at Sportskeeda with an overall experience of 10 years. Holding a Master’s degree in Journalism & Mass Communication, and currently pursuing Master’s in Sports Journalism from Sheffield Hallam University, he is a seasoned football journalist who has interviewed the likes of former Liverpool star John Arne Riise, covered the entire 2022-23 Indian Super League season of the Kerala Blasters, and has delivered a seminar at an international conference held by St. Albert's College, Ernakulam.

Thanks to his extensive academic background in journalism, Dakir understands the importance of accuracy and spends a significant amount of time researching the subject. In today’s data-driven world of football, where players are perceived as machines, he prides himself amplify the voices of the people that make football the beautiful game that it is.

He started following football in 2013, and more specifically, Brendan Rodgers’ Liverpool, and admires Jurgen Klopp for his untouched charisma and unmatched legacy. A perpetual underdog supporter, he is a fan of under-fire Reds forward Darwin Nunez and can’t wait for him to show the world what he truly is. Trent Alexander-Arnold’s iconic “corner taken quickly” corner assist for Divock Origi in Liverpool’s 4-0 UCL semifinal win over Barcelona left a lasting impact on him.

When not writing, Dakir enjoys indulging in his guilty pleasure - watching mass commercial movies.

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