Ronaldo’s influence ‘unrivalled’ as Arsenal star appears to copy his celebration
Cristiano Ronaldo's unrivalled influence in football was once again on show on Sunday when his celebration was emulated by Arsenal youngster Folarin Balogun.
Ronaldo has struggled to make an impact this season at United, spending most of the campaign on the bench. The 37-year-old star's frustration reached breaking point last week when he stormed off the pitch in United's win over Tottenham.
The forward's tantrum culminated in an excessive fine from United boss Erik ten Hag and his omission from the Red Devils squad for their 1-1 draw with Chelsea on Saturday. His days at Old Trafford could be numbered with United willing to let him go in the January transfer window if they receive an offer.
READ MORE: Roy Keane's prediction for Cristiano Ronaldo weeks before walk-out proved to be bang on
But although Ronaldo's influence is waning in Manchester, it's clear that his impact on the rest of the football world shows no sign of slowing down. And the mark he's left on other stars was encapsulated by Gunners ace Balogun, who channelled his inner Ronaldo after scoring on loan at Reims in their 2-1 win over Ligue 1 rivals Auxerre.
The 21-year-old netted his seventh goal in 12 games as he outpaced an oncoming Auxerre defender to latch on to a through ball and sweetly strike it into the bottom corner. And after his sumptuous effort, Balogun appeared emulate Ronaldo's latest goal celebration – jumping into the air before turning around and folding his arms, just like Ronaldo did against Everton earlier this season.
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Ronaldo debuted the celebration, which was reportedly created to mock his love of sleep, after netting his 700th career strike against the Toffees. And Balogun's Ronaldo-inspired goal prompted one fan on Twitter to write: "Another Ronaldo celebration," alongside a goat emoji.
And another supporter declared: "Arsenal future is so secured. But you can't deny, Ronaldo's influence is unrivalled."
However, Balogun is not the only star to nick Ronaldo's goal celebration. His trademark 'Siuu' rendition has been copied religiously by others, even transcending the world of football when darts ace Ricky Evans gave it his best shot.
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