Arsenal Subjected to Fierce Taunts After Champions League Final Defeat

Arsenal's rivals wasted no time in mocking the Gunners after their Champions League final defeat to PSG on penalties yesterday. Mikel Arteta's confident pre-match declaration that his team "would become champions of Europe" only added fuel to the fire. Following a tense final against the reigning Parisian champions, missed penalties from Eberechi Eze and Gabriel Magalhães brought a bitter end to Arsenal's season, despite their Premier League title win.

Rivals wasted no time in seizing the opportunity to poke fun at the loss.

First to react were Chelsea, who share a long-standing rivalry with their London neighbors. Minutes after Gabriel's miss, the Blues, who won the Champions League in 2012 and 2021, posted a social media update indirectly aimed at Arsenal. They shared a link to book stadium tours with the caption: "Come and visit the home of trophies in London." The main image accompanying the post prominently featured the Champions League trophy.

Manchester City striker Erling Haaland, a frequent tormentor of the Gunners, also weighed in. The Norwegian has had several clashes with Gabriel over the years, even throwing the ball at the defender's head during a match in 2024. This year, during City's 2-1 victory over Arsenal in April, the two again locked horns, with Gabriel narrowly avoiding a red card after a head-to-head confrontation.

Shortly after the Brazilian missed his penalty, Haaland shared a photo on social media, smiling and enjoying the sun with friends.

Haaland wasn't the only player to mock Arsenal. Tottenham's Djed Spence also joined in the banter aimed at their fierce city rivals. In February, Arsenal's official 'X' account posted a video of Bukayo Saka and Cristian Mosquera getting the better of Spence, with the caption: "Locked down." On Saturday night, Spence quote-tweeted the post with eye and padlock emojis.

Meanwhile, another Tottenham player, Richarlison, shared a video of a laughing (or perhaps crying?!) child on his Instagram story.

Former Spurs midfielder Jamie O'Hara posted a picture of Arsenal legend Thierry Henry laughing, with the caption: "Bonjour."

Crystal Palace also joined the fray, sharing a graphic captioned "European Champions" minutes after the final whistle, having secured the Conference League title just days prior.

Arsenal will return to North London today for their championship parade on Sunday, but will only be showcasing one trophy, not two.