'What nonsense': Fans believe Aston Villa were baiting Arsenal with new tunnel feature ahead of Premier League clash
Aston Villa proudly displayed their European Cup trophy in the tunnel, with fans believing it was a subtle dig at Premier League rivals Arsenal.
The Villains welcomed the Gunners to the Midlands in Saturday's late kick-off, looking to win a third straight game against their opponents.
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Both teams will compete in the Champions League this season, but it is only… Villa who have lifted the famous trophy.
Villa won Europe's top competition in 1982 by beating Bayern Munich 1-0.
And after finishing fourth last season, they return to the tournament for the first time in 41 years.
Unai EmeryDortmund announced on social media on Saturday that the European Cup trophy will be displayed as part of their new tunnel.
But fans were quick to suggest making the change for Arsenal in their first home game of the season was a first-class travesty.
One fan posted on X: “Doing this for a game against Arsenal is stupid.”
Another commented: “Flashing your UCL is very disgusting… keep up the good work!”
A third added: “Flashing your UCL like this because you're playing Arsenal today is a new level of hate.”
This fan then messaged: “It would be hilarious if every club that won the UCL did this when they play Arsenal.”
Meanwhile, this follower said: “Oh my god. I'm showing them the UCL trophy. Villa are very, very mean.”
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And another simply stated: “This is a slight violation by Arsenal.”
One of them joked: “Doing this against Arsenal is a top-notch joke.”
Both Arsenal and Villa will find out who their opponents are in the revamped Champions League group stage when next week's draw takes place.
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