10月17日，24直播网消息，《每日邮报》披露，在英超联赛“抵制种族歧视”主题活动月内，梅特兰-奈尔斯、格伊以及迪奥普三位球员选择不参与赛前单膝跪地仪式。一些球员对这一行为的价值表示怀疑，扎哈甚至称其为“人格侮辱”。
在周六午后的“抵制种族主义”活动周期开启之际，三名来自英超的足球运动员选择了不参与单膝跪地的抗议行为。在埃弗顿与切尔西的比赛中，梅特兰-奈尔斯成为少数不随队行动的球员。与此同时，在曼城迎战伊普斯维奇的比赛开始前，格伊与迪奥普也采取了同样的立场。
拒绝屈膝的行为并非首次出现在赛场上。在去年的一场比赛中，卡尔弗特-勒温在伯恩利与利兹联的对抗中做出了这样的举动，而萨默维尔也展现出了相似的态度。至于球员们拒绝这一姿势的具体原因，目前尚无确切信息。然而，许多球员对这一动作所承载的意义表示担忧，认为它可能已经失去了原有的意义。
In 2021, former Crystal Palace player Zaha declared that kneeling was an affront to dignity, while Ivan Toney remarked that they were treated like puppets. Zaha elaborated, "I believe kneeling is an act that dishonors one's character, as my parents instilled in me from a young age that I should be proud of being black, regardless of the circumstances. I feel we should carry ourselves with pride and confidence."
The gesture preceding the match will be open to players and staff for the upcoming two match weeks, as the Premier League reiterates its dedication to combating discrimination and emphasizing the significance of football's diversity. This initiative, which commenced in 2020 in response to the death of George Floyd during his arrest by American police, gave rise to the "Black Lives Matter" movement. In August 2022, the Premier League, following consultations with the players, ceased the practice of kneeling before each match and opted to conduct this action only during specific rounds of the "Say No to Racism" campaign.