Newcastle United has strongly condemned the racist abuse directed at players Bruno Guimaraes and Joe Willock on social media following their 1-0 victory over Arsenal. The club issued a statement expressing its clear stance against racism in football and society. In response to the disturbing messages received by Guimaraes and Willock, the club is providing support to the players and collaborating with authorities and social media platforms to identify those responsible.

After Anthony Gordon’s controversial second-half winner ended Arsenal’s unbeaten Premier League season start, Willock revealed the abusive messages on Instagram and urged the platform to take action against the offenders.

Anti-racism charity Kick It Out has also addressed the incident, offering support to Willock and Guimaraes. In a statement, the organization expressed concern over the recurring nature of racial abuse on social media, highlighting the significant impact on players’ mental health. Kick It Out called for the swift implementation of the new Online Safety Act to enhance player protection, emphasising the need for social media companies to take immediate action against such incidents.