May 23, 2026
Arsenal had amassed more points than any other club in England over the last three seasons, yet they were still branded losers and bottlers. In a world of fickle metrics, success is measured in the harshest, most linear way possible. And winners take all.
Clubs pumped up on financial steroids can despite 115 overdue charges, spend stupendously and still dominate, while ethical excellence is ignored. If football truly embodied the spirit of sportsmanship and discernment, three consecutive runner-up finishes built on vision, youth development, and organic growth would be worthy of veneration . It would be a model for every club to emulate. But no. It’s the title or nothing. So Chelsea fans are earnestly yearning for the return of Abramovich and mad Russian money .
Not even a strong second-place finish in the UEFA Champions League would have earned Arsenal respect. Pundits and mockers would have pointed to Aston Villa lifting the Europa League — the less lustrous trophy that relegation-threatened Tottenham won last season — and declared they had the better campaign. Some Arsenal fans, swallowing the lie that something magical beyond consistent near-perfection is required to finish first, would have joined the chorus and sang “Arteta out.”
