Arsenal have had a bumpy start to the season, winning two and losing two of their opening four fixtures. The Gunners have not kept a clean sheet in any of the four games and one player who has come in for criticism is full back Hector Bellerin, with one Arsenal supporter amusingly blaming the defender's diet on his poor performances.
The fan, who appeared on BBC Radio 5 Live's Sport Show, proffered a left field excuse for the defenders failings, blaming his poor form on the fact that he is a vegan:
I mean Bellerin needs a steak inside him, because since he's become a vegan he can't defend. I'm not even joking.
I watch him every week. He drives me mental.
Chris Sutton could not contain his amusement at the notion that Bellerin's form is rooted in his meat-free diet, asking the caller "so if he's vegan he can't defend?!":
If he's not eating anything! He's running around eating fresh air.
He needs to tackle a good steak.
"Since he's become a vegan he can't defend!" ?#Arsenal fan Jason says Héctor Bellerín's new meat-free diet is affecting him out on the pitch...
???#BBC606pic.twitter.com/6wnWI7F7Vb
— BBC 5 Live Sport (@5liveSport) September 2, 2018
Bellerin is one of a few high profile footballers who is vegan, with the likes of Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero and Jermain Defoe adopting similar diets, and the 23-year-old has pointed to his vegan diet as a reason for better performance on the pitch as well as fewer injuries:
For me the most important thing is the inflammation in my body after games and the speed that my body recovers compared to before,
I've always had little problems in my ankles when I played very hard games, they would get inflamed and very stiff.
Now I don’t even have to strap them to play anymore. It doesn’t just make a difference in your body but I strongly believe that what we’re doing to the earth we get paid back.
Getting rid of all the food I was eating and going to this plant-based diet it did take those few days to actually feel better, but when it got to the beginning of the third week I felt so good.
I was waking up in the mornings and had so much energy whereas before I used to be that person who would snooze the alarm five times before they got out of bed.
So there you go, two very different opinions on the matter. My vote is that Bellerin should eats steak every other week until the end of the season and then we collate the results at the end of the season. It's the only way we'll know who's right.
