EXCLUSIVE
Perry Groves has explained all in the viral video where he upset a few Spurs fans at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday.
Groves was working for talkSPORT at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, providing updates on the north London derby, which the Gunners won 3-2, in The Sunday Session alongside Alex Crook.
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He is of course fondly remembered by Arsenal fans, Groves playing 205 times for them between 1986 and 1993. He also won two league titles as a Gunner.
Naturally, when his former club raced into an early 3-0 lead against their bitter rivals he could not contain his delight.
This was caught on video, including the reaction from the home supporters behind him.
The person recording the video did not take Groves' reaction well, bizarrely saying he wanted to 'report a hate crime'.
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He repeatedly kept saying: "He's not allowed to do that."
Explaining all, Groves told talkSPORT Drive: “When Kai Havertz scored the third goal, I celebrated and gave a fist pump. Someone has filmed it and actually the YouTuber who did it, I had a selfie with him at half-time. He actually thought it was quite funny.
“It did upset a few Spurs fans behind me, which I get. Everybody knows I’m a Gooner and I’m emotional when I watch Arsenal play.
“I want Arsenal to win. Any game I am co-commentating, it has to be balanced.
“Everyone knows I’m a massive Gooner and everyone knows that when I am going to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, I want Arsenal to win.
“But when I am co-commentating, I have to be balanced because even when they were coming to us I was saying that, when Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg got the own goal, that Spurs had been on top and it was against the run of play.
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“I can’t help that emotion. I can’t just sit there and go ‘oh look, we’ve just gone 3-0 up. That’s quite good’. That’s impossible."
Groves did admit he understood the reaction from the Tottenham supporters.
On the Spurs fans’ reaction, he said: “Yeah, I get it. They are as invested and emotional in the game as I am.
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“They will see me celebrate and have a fist pump. They’ve complained to the stewards and they’ve come over.
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“I said sorry I got a bit carried away. I have to say, the stewards at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium were absolutely brilliant.
“I think they’re trying to turn me!
“The fella who put it out, he was a bit tongue in cheek. Everybody knows I’m a Gooner."