Aston Villa came back from behind to win their Premier League outing against Fulham at Villa Park last night. The Cottagers took the lead an hour into the game after Aleksandar Mitrovic capitalised on a mistake by Tyrone Mings, but two goals from Trezeguet inside a span of three minutes – and a late Ollie Watkins strike ensured that Villa took the points at home.
Trezeguet’s brace turned the match around on its head as the game ended in a 3-1 win for the Villans, but the midfielder made the rounds on social media for a different reason.
After Mitrovic sent 18th-placed Fulham ahead in the 61st minute, Scott Parker’s men looked on course to win three very important points in the scrap to avoid relegation. However, it was not to be, as the home side responded through substitute Trezeguet.
The Villa midfielder placed a left-footed strike into the bottom corner in the 78th minute to level the score, before converting Keinan Davis’ perfect cross from the right flank in the 81st minute to earn Villa their first win in five games.
Apart from being the match-winner and the difference between the two teams on the night, Trezeguet also made the rounds on social media after the game for his celebration after the second goal – one where he mimicked putting a gun to his head.
The celebration was branded as inappropriate as well as insensitive in a day and age where mental health is such a sensitive topic of discussion, as suicide ends up taking a lot of lives everywhere across the world.
The football fraternity online did not take very lightly to Trezeguet’s gestures even though his intentions might have been very contrasting, as they identified as putting a gun to one’s own head to be inappropriate for the spirit of the game – and not the best of celebrations considering the troubled times that we all are living in.
The Premier League is a huge brand, and the gesture is not ideal for the thousands of young, impressionable kids watching around the globe.
.@AVFCOfficial can you please explain the suicide celebration by your player @Trezeguet? Pretty disgraceful to see this in 2021. Sure your Think Football Project colleagues feel pretty let down. @premierleague @heads_together
— Calum (@clmw16) April 4, 2021
Trezeguet will surely be suspended for that celebration. Would set a bad precedent if there is no action.
— Ben D'Arcy (@ben_darcy) April 4, 2021
He’s just pointing at his head? He would have two fingers for a gun but he’s only got one. Ruben Neves’ celebration also uses a finger pointed at his head and Cavani’s is a literal sniper – why so much backlash for Trez?