Metropolitan Police confirmed on Thursday that a 19-year-old man had been arrested after allegedly abusing Manchester United star Mason Mount when Ruben Amorim’s men travelled to Tottenham last weekend.
The former Chelsea star received a welcome to be expected from the supporters of his former derby rivals on Saturday afternoon when he was brought on for Matheus Cunha in the 72nd minute.
But as per a statement from the force, one member of the crowd was forcibly removed after he allegedly targeted the midfielder with specific vile abuse.
A statement shared with Daily Mail Sport read: ‘On Saturday, 8 November a member of the crowd was removed from a football match at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
‘The man had been heard making an offensive comment by a member of staff, who reported it to the police.
‘The man, aged 19, was arrested that day on suspicion of intentionally causing harassment, alarm, or distress. He was later bailed pending further enquiries.
‘No specific victims have been identified during the investigation.’
Mason Mount was allegedly the subject of vile verbal abuse when Man United faced Spurs
Tottenham had previously released their own statement to the Athletic condemning a potential offense and threatening the ‘strongest possible action’ against any of their supporters who might use discriminatory language.
‘The club is aware of a supporter being arrested for alleged verbal abuse of an opposition player during Saturday’s Premier League fixture against Manchester United,’ Spurs’ statement began.
‘Prior to the game, all ticket holders received guidance regarding discriminatory chanting and, specifically, homophobic chanting.
‘We will now support Met Police in their investigation and, once concluded, any supporter found to have used discriminatory language will be a subject to the strongest possible action in accordance with our Sanctions and Banning Policy. We will also ensure they take part in a fan education programme,’ continued the Spurs statement.
‘We work tirelessly with all our supporters’ associations to ensure a welcoming and inclusive environment for all fans on matchdays, and have a zero tolerance approach to all forms of discrimination.’
Tottenham were forced to issue a similar statement when Man United faced off with the London club at Old Trafford at the start of last season, when away supporters targeted Mount, and Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta with homophobic chants.
The club were later hit with a £75,000 fine after their fans were found guilty of the offence – after halving their initial £150,000 sanction as they admitted to the breaches.
Mount has been dogged by homophobic abuse as a former Chelsea player, with Blues loanee Ben Chilwell similarly targeted last season on duty for Crystal Palace.
Earlier this month, a Man United fan was given a three-year banning order for making a homophobic comment about Chelsea on social media.
It is understood that the supporter referred to fans of the west London club as ‘rent boys’, a slur that has been used for decades and which has been deemed a hate crime by the Crown Prosecution Service.
