Copy linkFacebookXPinterestEmailShare this article 0Join the conversationFollow usAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleNewsletterSubscribe to our newsletterFormer Brentford and Brighton striker Neal Maupay has never been the type to shy away from a bit of football banter.Among the Marseille forwards greatest hits is his 2024 barb aimed at James Maddison, when the then-Brentford man mimicked the Tottenham playmakers darts celebration following his first-half goal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.The pair had no previous history, but the incident sparked a mini war of words between the pair following Spurs eventual 3-2 victory, and while Maupay insists there was no malice in it, he wouldnt hesitate to do it again.Pick the ultimate 4-4-2 line-up from players in FourFourTwo's definitive Top 100 ListMaupay on his Maddison darts wind-upMaupay insists that even his most memorable celebrations are not pre-meditated, with the player instead preferring to let the emotion of the game guide him.I don't usually plan celebrations because I like to react to my emotions, he tells FourFourTwo. I just go with the flow of the game and how I feel at the time. You may like Matteo Guendouzi was talking trash about money and how he was better than us I scored a winner then rubbed it in his face Neal Maupay on his infamous Arsenal bust up "The boys told me, 'Shut up, youll never do it' when I told them about the Homer Simpson celebration. It was quality" Michail Antonio on his iconic goal celebration Troy Deeney on coming back from the brink On this occasion in January 2024, it was Maddison who was caught in his crosshairs.Thats what happened during that game, because I have no problem with James Maddison, he continues. The pair had faced off nine times before that fateful match, and there was no bad blood between them.Get FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.When I faced him while he was at Leicester, we were always friendly with each other, Maupay adds.But in this game, with the atmosphere and seeing the fans in the front row, I just wanted to do his celebration.Both players had their say immediately following the game, with Maddison telling TNT Sports that: He probably hasn't scored enough goals in the last couple of years for his own celebration, so he probably had to copy mine!, while Maupay used Instagram to remind the masses that he had more goals and less relegations in his career. What to read next Sir Geoff Hurst explains why he wasn't upset about Kylian Mbappe matching his World Cup hat-trick record At West Ham, I told Slaven Bilic Ill never play at right-back! Mark Noble argued with me, so I stormed off and got a taxi home Michail Antonio on his shifting roles at West Ham Dougie Freedman was blocking my transfers, so I texted him that he wasn't my manager Id be playing for myself. Within two days I was at West Ham" Michail Antonio on dark arts that got him his Premier League move But despite this, Maupay appears to carry no beef, even going as far as to say he would do it again.I actually haven't spoken to him about it since, he says. From what I heard, he wasn't too happy about it.From my point of view, I think it was a good celebration and if I had to do it again, I would.The interview with Neal was arranged by YRDSTOPICSNeal MaupayBrentfordPremier LeagueJoe MewisSocial Links NavigationFor more than a decade, Joe Mewis has worked in football journalism as a reporter and editor. Mewis has had stints at Mirror Football and LeedsLive among others and worked at FourFourTwo throughout Euro 2024, reporting on the tournament. In addition to his journalist work, Mewis is also the author of four football history books that include times on Leeds United and the England national team. Now working as a digital marketing coordinator at Harrogate Town, too, Mewis counts some of his best career moments as being in the iconic Spygate press conference under Marcelo Bielsa and seeing his beloved Leeds lift the Championship trophy during lockdown.With contributions fromJames Hilsum
