Arsenal's rivals have wasted no time in mocking the Gunners after their heartbreaking Champions League final defeat on penalties to Paris Saint-Germain. Despite securing the Premier League title, Arsenal's season ended in disappointment as Eberechi Eze and Gabriel missed their spot kicks in the shootout, handing the trophy to the defending champions.
Chelsea's Dig
Local rivals Chelsea, who have won the Champions League in 2012 and 2021, posted a link to a booking form for stadium tours on social media shortly after Gabriel's decisive miss. The post was captioned: 'Come and visit London's home of trophies,' with the main image showing the Champions League trophy, clearly taking aim at Arsenal.
Haaland's Taunt
Erling Haaland, who plays for Arsenal's title rivals Manchester City, also joined in the mockery. The Norwegian striker, who has clashed with Gabriel on multiple occasions in recent years, shared a snap on social media showing him smiling and enjoying the sun with friends. This came after Gabriel's missed penalty, adding fuel to their ongoing rivalry. Fans quickly responded, with one writing: 'At least we didn't bottle the league like you,' and another posting: 'Why are you so happy? You didn't win the cup!'
Tottenham Stars Join In
Tottenham's Djed Spence and Richarlison also took part in the banter. Spence quoted an old Arsenal post that had mocked him with eyeball and padlock emojis, while Richarlison shared a video of a child laughing on his Instagram story. Fans hit back, with one replying: 'What a wild thing to tweet after your rivals win the Prem and you almost get relegated.'
Crystal Palace and PSG Player's Comments
Crystal Palace, who won the Conference League days earlier, shared a graphic reading 'European champions' within minutes of full-time. Meanwhile, PSG midfielder Joao Neves, who played the entire final, took aim at Arsenal's defensive style of play. 'We deserved it today, because PSG were the only team that wanted to play,' Neves said. Arsenal had just one shot on target and less than 25% possession in the match.
This came after Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta had boasted at an event: 'On Saturday, we are going to be champions of Europe.' The Gunners will now head back to north London for their Premier League title parade on Sunday, though they will be celebrating just one trophy instead of two.
