Hincapie and Mac Allister clash in furious spat during Ecuador vs Argentina

PIERO HINCAPIE and Alexis Mac Allister have kicked off their Premier League rivalry, before the Arsenal star has even played a minute for his new club.

The Ecuador defender and Argentina midfielder squared up to one another during a heated 2026 World Cup qualifier between the two South American nations.

Hincapie, 23, and Liverpool star Mac Allister, 26, were seen in a furious row at the end of the match as passion boiled over into anger.

After a meaty challenge on Franco Mastantuono in injury time, Mac Allister confronted Hincapie.

The Reds ace was at first seen barging into Hincapie before berating him as he followed the defender while he walked away - arguing back while doing so - with plenty of finger wagging being exchanged by both.

But it was Hincapie - who Arsenal have signed on loan from Bayer Leverkusen with an option to buy for £45 next summer - who had the last laugh.

The feisty affair - the final match for the Conmebol World Cup qualifying campaign - saw Ecuador achieve their first win over Argentina in a decade, and their first on home soil since 2009, as Moises Caicedo and Nicolas Otamendi both saw red for their respective nations.

It came off the back of an Enner Valencia in injury time of the first half, with Hincapie also putting in a colossal performance at left-back to help his nation preserve a precious clean sheet.

And his stat sheet from the game made for even more impressive reading, making for tantalising viewing for any Gunners fan watching.

Hincapie recorded two tackles, three clearances, two interceptions, five recoveries while committing just one foul.

He also won half of his four ground duels while winning two out of three in the air.

The star also showed his prowess on the ball, recording 58 touches with five passes into the final third.

Reacting to his performance on social media, one fan said: "Arsenal struck gold here. Hincapie is that guy that goes straight into the first 11, no doubt. He's solid."

A second said: "We’ve got a top player."

A third added: "Our left side is sorted for a very long time now."

Another said: "Got Mac Allister stressing."

A fifth remarked: "We have effectively replaced Kiwior's passing range and upgraded his defending. What a player."

Having been announced by Arsenal on deadline day, he narrowly missed the chance to ignite his rivalry with Mac Allister in the Premier League before the international break.

Mac Allister played 61 minutes of Liverpool's 1-0 win over Arsenal at Anfield, where the two title rivals were only separated by a moment of magic by Dominik Szoboszlai.

It's impossible to say whether Hincapie's presence would have changed the outcome of the clash, but there certainly may have been a few more fireworks.

Regardless, when he returns to North London from international duty, Hincapie could be in line to play his first Arsenal minutes against Nottingham Forest on Saturday's 12:30 kick-off.

Following that, Mikel Arteta's side travel to Spain for to face Athletic Bilbao in the opening fixture in their Champions League campaign, before a stern test against Manchester City at the Emirates.