Ivan Toney has jokingly labelled Arsenal gamers as “a bit cringey” for repeatedly utilizing his gloating social media submit as motivation to beat Brentford.
The 26-year-old described Brentford’s 2-0 win over Arsenal on the opening day of final season as a “good kickabout with the boys” on Twitter.
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The current Amazon All or Nothing documentary on Arsenal revealed that boss Mikel Arteta confirmed that tweet to his gamers to encourage them earlier than the reverse fixture in February, a sport they received 2-1.
After that sport, striker Alexandre Lacazette tweeted the very same phrases in response, earlier than Emile Smith Rowe added “enjoyable session with the boys” in reply.
And following Arsenal’s 3-0 win on the Gtech Group Stadium on Sunday — a match which ended with the away supporters chanting “Ivan Toney, a stroll within the park” — defender Gabriel mimicked Toney with the identical tweet as his authentic.
Requested what he product of the scenario when talking at St George’s Park on Tuesday afternoon, Toney mentioned: “I feel as soon as was humorous, the second time was a bit cringey!
“Nah, hear, I bit my tongue. I wished to answer, I wished to nibble, however truthful play they performed very effectively. They’re a unique Arsenal aspect from what we performed earlier than. They’re going very effectively so truthful play to them. They’re going effectively.”
Toney was final week known as as much as the England senior squad for the primary time after scoring 5 objectives to this point this season together with a hat trick in Brentford’s 5-2 win over Leeds United earlier this month.
The 26-year-old had struggled to make an influence on the highest degree as his profession at Newcastle United, who he joined in 2015, stalled by means of mortgage spells at Barnsley, Shrewsbury, Scunthorpe and Wigan earlier than becoming a member of Peterborough in 2018.
Nonetheless, the striker signed for Brentford in a deal price £5 million in September 2020 and he has not appeared again, scoring 48 league objectives in 85 appearances up to now.
“I by no means doubted [I’d get an England call-up],” he mentioned. “I really feel like I had full confidence in myself. You’ve got simply received to maintain working exhausting and it simply makes it that a lot sweeter if you do get the possibility. I by no means performed for any of the opposite age teams so going straight to the senior squad is a giant achievement.
“I used to be truly driving to coaching [when I found out]. The Brentford gaffer [Thomas Frank] known as me and I used to be working a bit late so I used to be pondering he was calling me about my timekeeping.
“He simply mentioned ‘I’ve the privileged to let you know you’ve got been known as up for the England senior squad.’
“For as soon as in my life, I had nothing to say. I used to be driving and, not zoned out as that would not have been the perfect factor to do, [but] I used to be simply driving to coaching pondering ‘wow, I am truly going to play with the England senior squad.’
“It did not actually register. I used to be answering the gaffer’s questions, he mentioned ‘how do you are feeling.’ And I used to be like ‘good.’ It nonetheless hasn’t sunk in. however once I got here off the cellphone, I rang my mother and father right away. We’ve got a household group chat. I video known as all people, broke the information and there was screaming for about 20 minutes.”
