"During his appearance on The Adam Friedland Show this week, Mr. Mamdani, a devout Arsenal fan, took some time out of explaining his policy agenda to remember some Arsenal guys: Sebastien Squillaci. Pascal Cygan. Marouane Chamakh. To some New Yorkers, these are simply names of former Arsenal players. But to others, they are words that, when spoken aloud by someone with Mr. Mamdani's ideological bent, make them feel unsafe in their own city."
"Unfortunately, Mr. Mamdani has yet to demonstrate a commitment to protecting Arsenal-agnostic New Yorkers who feel unsafe. At no point during his campaign did he visit a Tottenham or Liverpool bar, and he has repeatedly ignored calls to condemn Nicolas Pépé. When it was revealed in the summer that one of Mr. Mamdani's senior campaign staffers had tweeted, "Matteo Guendouzi is lowkey nice with it" in 2019, that staffer kept his job and avoided any disciplinary action."
Zohran Mamdani is weeks away from becoming Mayor of New York City and his recent conduct has prompted concerns about his readiness to represent all residents. During a podcast appearance he named former Arsenal players — Sebastien Squillaci, Pascal Cygan, Marouane Chamakh — remarks that some residents interpret as making them feel unsafe. Arsenal fandom has been rising in the city, and questions have arisen about how the mayor will protect New Yorkers who do not support that team. Mamdani has not visited Tottenham or Liverpool bars during his campaign, has not condemned Nicolas Pépé, and retained a senior staffer after a 2019 tweet praising Matteo Guendouzi.
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