Tottenham fan attempts to mock Declan Rice with a picture of his partner in vile incident

Arsenal ran out 4-1 winners over Tottenham Hotspur in the North London Derby on Sunday evening, in which, Declan Rice was subject to vile abuse targeted toward his partner, Lauren Fryer

A Tottenham Hotspur fan attempted to mock Declan Rice during Sunday's North London Derby by showing a photograph of Rice’s partner while appearing to shout abuse towards the player.

Tensions boiled over at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday evening, as Arsenal ran out 4-1 winners over their bitter rivals.

While boos and heckles aren't uncommon in the hostile environment of a derby day, one Spurs fan appeared to go further when he showed a photograph of Lauren Fryer toward Rice on his phone. In a Shutterstock photograph reproduced on some social media accounts - which has since been requested for removal [by the player/club] - a person in the home end of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is seen leaning over the advertising hoardings with a picture of Rice's partner on his phone's screen.

Rice, in the vicinity, had his back turned to the crowd as he walked back toward the pitch. It comes after Fryer took action to clear her Instagram account in 2024 following a barrage of disgusting trolling online over her appearance.

The shocking harassment of Fryer began in December 2023, when an anonymous social media account told Rice that he "could do better," while others also relentlessly directed jabs at Fryer for her appearance. As a result, Fryer made the decision to delete all of the photos on her account.

With 105,000 followers on the platform, Fryer's account still contains no posts, while she is also absent from Rice's Instagram. In response to the online abuse in April 2024, meanwhile, Rice shared a heartfelt statement toward his partner, in which, he said: "She is the love of my life and I don't need an upgrade."

She has previously been defended by Dani Dyer, partner of West Ham forward Jarrod Bowen, who said last year: "It was so hard for her, the trolling, as she doesn't put herself out there. I think it's harder when you are not in [the celebrity world] and you are being personally attacked. I found that hard. She is a really good mum, who keeps to herself. No one deserves to be criticised like that.

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"It was so cruel…. We didn't speak about it a lot. What we did talk about is how she is so nice and so great and looks absolutely gorgeous. Plus, she's Dec's childhood sweetheart and you can see how much he adores her."

Rice and Fryer initially met at school before they began dating when they were 17, and have been inseparable ever since. The WAG, who hails from Chessington, has been at Rice's side for the entirety of his career - from his debut at West Ham through to his impressive recent performances with Arsenal.

They welcomed a son named Jude together in August 2022, and have kept their family life largely out of the limelight. Despite horrific attempts to mock him, Rice was imperative to a Gunners side who enjoyed a 4-1 win over their bitter rivals in Spurs on Sunday, playing the duration of the match in the heart of midfield.

Eberechi Eze opened the scoring for Arsenal 32 minutes into the game, before Randal Kolo Muani levelled matters instantly. Viktor Gyokeres then gave his side the lead once more moments after the second-half played out, before Kolo Muani thought he had come to the rescue again.

However, the Frenchman's second strike was ultimately ruled out as a result of a shove on Gabriel in the build-up, keeping the score at 2-1 in Arsenal's favour. Eze bagged his second of the evening 64 minutes into the fixture, before Gyokeres put the game well and truly to bed in the game's dying embers to take all three points in a convincing victory.

As a result of the win, Arsenal expanded their lead over Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table to five points headed into their final 10 games of the season. Up next for Mikel Arteta's side is a match with Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium come Sunday, March 1.

With City holding a valuable game in hand over Arsenal, the table toppers will not be afforded any room for error as they look to clinch their first league title in over two decades come May.

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