Arsenal fans mocked Leeds defender Ezgjan Alioski as the dejected defender walked past Nicolas Pepe after being substituted when the Whites were 4-0 down to the Gunners.
The Macedonian was brought off on 53 minutes, just minutes after Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang had completed his hat-trick to give Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal clear daylight between the two sides.
Alioski and Pepe were involved in a scuffle in the return fixture at Elland Road which saw the latter sent off for violent conduct – and Leeds striker Patrick Bamford claimed his team-mate was looking forward to reuniting with his ‘mate’ Pepe on Sunday.
Leeds’ Ezgjan Alioski trudged off past rival and Arsenal winger Nicolas Pepe in Sunday’s defeat
The pair were involved in a scrap which saw Pepe (right) sent off at Elland Road last November
But Arsenal fans and Pepe appeared to have the last laugh with Alioski hauled off following Leeds’ disappointing display in north London.
One Arsenal fan tweeted: ‘Alioski talking s**** about Pepe before the game and then drops a stinker. You love to see it.’
Another Gunners supporter said: ‘Love to see it, Alioski giving it the biggen about Pepe to be subbed off because he’s nothing more than a championship player.’
One fan added: ‘Alioski walks past Pépé after being subbed whilst his side lose 4-0. Next time humble yourself before you open your mouth.’
Alioski was hauled off while Leeds were 4-0 down to Arsenal in Sunday’s return fixture
Arsenal fans mocked Alioski upon seeing the footage of Alioski walking off the pitch by Pepe
Pepe’s red card against Leeds in November was a major blow in Arsenal’s season who slumped to a dull 0-0 draw in West Yorkshire.
The result contributed to the Gunners’s worst ever start to a Premier League season and they began Sunday’s tie at the Emirates Stadium behind the Whites in the table.
Leeds striker Bamford admitted that Alioski was looking forward to the Arsenal encounter so he could renew his rival with Pepe.
Alioski’s Leeds were 3-0 down at half-time after an electric performance by the Gunners
The striker told the Leeds official website: ‘Do you know what? He (Alioski) said in the changing room, I can’t wait for Sunday.
‘I was like “why?”. He said “because I’m playing against my mate Pepe again”.’
But Leeds struggled in the first-half at Arsenal and lost 4-2 despite threatening to launch a second-half comeback.
Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal won the game 4-2 thanks to a Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang hat-trick
Whites goalkeeper Illan Meslier was at fault for the Gunners’ three first-half goals – two finished by Aubameyang and one from defender Hector Bellerin.
Meslier let Aubameyang’s first and Bellerin’s strike through his near post while the Frenchman felled Bukayo Saka after being tackled by the young winger to concede a penalty which the Gunners captain scored from.
Pascal Struijk and Helder Costa hit consolation goals for Marcelo Bielsa’s side in the second period.
