“Honestly embarrassing”, “Stop being cringe” – Arsenal fan and presenter Laura Woods slammed by Spurs fans for question at James Maddison

Arsenal loyalist and TV presenter Laura Woods has apparently rubbed rival Tottenham fans the wrong way. The incident unfolded during a recent in-depth conversation Woods and TNT Sports partner Ally McCoist had with Spurs recruit James Maddison.

What seemed like an innocuous question about Maddison's £40 million move from Leicester City to Tottenham Hotspur set off a firestorm of criticism from the Spurs' fanbase. As the presenter duo discussed with Maddison, Woods inquired about the thought process behind the playmaker's switch (via Daily Star):

“Another thing that Ally and me, I think, share is a real joy of watching you play football. It’s not just football; obviously we love your interviews and your personality in general. Which is why, the question, why Spurs? Like why did you decide to go to Spurs? Come on!”

Maddison humorously quipped to McCoist:

“Didn’t take long! Didn’t take long that, did it? Arsenal fan, Laura, in case we didn’t know.”

To add some levity to the situation, Woods quickly responded:

“Congratulations first and foremost, I’m only jealous because I wanted you to come to us! Honestly, though, congratulations."

Maddison seemed amused when he retorted with:

“Listen, you get to… you didn’t mean that, did you [laughs]?"

Woods said she did.

The exchange, while amusing to some, didn't go down well in all quarters. Tottenham fans lit up social media with varying degrees of indignation. Some supporters felt that Woods' allegiance to Arsenal colored the tone of her question, and here is a selection of their tweets:

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Arsenal's right-back search hits a snag as top targets elude them

Arsenal find themselves back at square one, grappling with the bitter reality that their top choices for a new right-back might just slip through their fingers. Mikel Arteta's strategy to fortify the position — already weakened by Jurrien Timber's devastating ACL injury — has hit a wall.

The Gunners' boss had set his sights high, eyeing Benjamin Pavard from Bayern Munich and Joao Cancelo from Manchester City as potential saviors. Inter Milan, however, seem to be on the cusp of capturing Pavard's signature, leaving Arsenal's blueprint for the season in disarray.

As if one target eluding them wasn't problematic enough, news broke from Florian Plettenberg that Cancelo might be opting for a move to Barcelona. His report divulged that a deal between City and Barca is not just possible, but likely imminent. According to Plettenberg, a loan move with a subsequent option to buy is already on the table and could be finalized by week's end.

Arsenal must now pivot and rethink their transfer strategy with the same urgency that accompanies a last-minute goal. For Arteta and the club board, it's a race against time and market availability. With their first choices potentially off the table, they might have to settle for other options.