New Arsenal star stokes Liverpool rivalry before Gunners debut with Alexis Mac Allister row

Arsenal defender Piero Hincapie has introduced himself to Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister during a feisty exchange in World Cup qualifying.

Hincapie has joined the Gunners from Bayer Leverkusen on a season-long loan with an option to make the deal permanent for £45million next summer. He was the last of Arsenal's eight summer additions and is yet to make his debut, having only sealed his move on transfer deadline day.

After signing, the 23-year-old immediately left London for South America, where he has been playing for Ecuador in their final two World Cup qualifiers. After a 0-0 draw with Paraguay, Ecuador’s campaign came to a dramatic conclusion at the Estadio Monumental in Guayaquil.

Ecuador completed a remarkable campaign by beating Argentina 1-0 thanks to a penalty from Enner Valencia. That saw them finish second in South American qualifying, above giants Brazil, who came in fifth.

READ MORE: Bukayo Saka told Noni Madueke and Chelsea star are BOTH better than him: 'Don't get the hype'

READ MORE: Carlo Ancelotti responds after overseeing Brazil's historically poor World Cup campaign

Chelsea midfielder Moises Caicedo was sent off for Ecuador after Benfica’s Nicolas Otamendi also got his marching orders. Argentina were already assured of top spot in qualifying, having dominated the group, and Ecuador had already booked their place at the 2026 World Cup, but that didn’t stop it getting tetchy.

Argentina star Mac Allister confronted Hincapie following a hefty challenge on his team-mate Franco Mastantuono in injury time. The furious Liverpool midfielder ran into the melee before screaming in his opponent’s face and wagging a finger.

Hincapie appeared to protest his innocence and escaped any punishment from the referee. The incident didn’t take the shine off Ecuador’s win for Hincapie, who celebrated by posting a photo of him celebrating Valencia’s penalty with the caption “the best” for the ex-West Ham striker.

There won’t be a reunion with Mac Allister any time soon, given Liverpool faced Arsenal on August 31 just before the international break. The Reds got the better of their Premier League title rivals at Anfield thanks to Dominik Szoboszlai’s stunning free-kick and they won’t meet again in the league until January 7.

Hincapie is raring to go with his new club and is eyeing silverware with Arsenal this season, having lifted the Bundesliga trophy with Leverkusen in 2024. “It only took one conversation to make me feel sure about the decision that I was taking. I'm over the moon,” he told the club website.

“I want to gel as best as I can with my new team-mates and have a good season. I always want to win trophies for this club, to make a name for myself and to leave a mark. I want to get off to a good start quickly and that's the most important thing.”

Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.