Arsenal’s recent loss in the Champions League final has given their rivals plenty of fodder for mockery. The Gunners faced off against defending champions Paris Saint-Germain in a nail-biting match that ended in a penalty shootout. Unfortunately for Arsenal, Eberechi Eze and Gabriel couldn’t convert their penalties, sealing their fate and ending their otherwise triumphant season, which included a Premier League title, on a sour note.
Rival teams didn’t waste a moment to revel in Arsenal’s misfortune. Among the voices chiming in was Erling Haaland, Manchester City’s prolific striker, who has a history of on-field tensions with Arsenal. Haaland, known for his goal-scoring prowess and competitive edge, has frequently been a thorn in Arsenal’s side.
Haaland’s rivalry with Arsenal’s Gabriel has been particularly heated. Their contentious encounters date back to a 2024 match where Haaland infamously threw the ball at Gabriel’s head. More recently, during a 2-1 victory for Manchester City over Arsenal in April, the two players had a heated exchange that nearly resulted in Gabriel receiving a red card after an aggressive confrontation.
They posted a link to a booking form for stadium tours, with the caption: ‘Come and visit London’s home of trophies.’ The main image showed the Champions League trophy.
Then, Erling Haaland, Manchester City’s record-breaking striker who has often been a scourge of the Gunners, had his say.
Arsenal’s rivals, including Erling Haaland, poked fun at the Gunners after they lost the Champions League final on penalties
Gabriel (left), who missed Arsenal’s decisive penalty, has clashed with Haaland on a number of occasions in recent years
Haaland has had a number of clashes with Gabriel in recent years, and threw the ball at the defender’s head during a game between the two sides in 2024.
This year, during City’s 2-1 win over Arsenal in April, the two players squared up and Gabriel appeared to narrowly avoid a red card after pushing his head forward.
Not long after the Brazilian missed the spot kick, Haaland shared a snap to social media which showed the forward smiling and appearing to enjoy the sun with some friends.
Some fans snapped back, with one writing: ‘At least we didn’t bottle the league like you.’
Another posted: ‘Why are you so happy? You didn’t win the cup!’
Haaland wasn’t the only player to poke fun, either. Djed Spence, who plays for Arsenal’s north London rivals Tottenham, hopped on the trend too.
Back in February, Arsenal’s X account posted a video of Bukayo Saka and Cristhian Mosquera getting the better of Spence, with the caption: ‘Locked up.’
Spence, on Saturday night, quoted the post with eyeball and padlock emojis.
In response, one fan replied: ‘What a wild thing to tweet after your rivals win the Prem and you almost get relegated.’
Another replied: ‘Imagine players who narrowly escaped relegation having the audacity to banter others. Find some shame, son.
‘When your season was spent looking over your shoulder at the relegation zone, you’d think a little humility would come naturally.’
Richarlison, meanwhile, who also plays for Tottenham, shared a video of a child laughing (or maybe crying?!) on his Instagram story.
In another Spurs link, former midfielder Jamie O’Hara posted a photo of Arsenal legend Thierry Henry laughing with the caption: ‘Bonjour.’
Crystal Palace chimed in too, sharing a graphic reading: ‘European champions’ within minutes of full-time, having won the Conference League just days ago.
And Joao Neves, who played the whole game for PSG in the final, took aim at Arsenal’s style of play in the final.
The Gunners had one shot on target in the game and less than 25 per cent of the ball. It all comes after manager Mikel Arteta had boasted: ‘On Saturday, we are going to be champions of Europe’ at an event.
‘Coming here was the best decision I’ve ever made,’ Neves said. ‘I love everything here. We deserved it today, because PSG were the only team that wanted to play.’
Arsenal will now head back to north London ahead of their Premier League title parade on Sunday – though they will be showing off just the one trophy rather than two.
