Go online and you are more likely to find negativity than positivity.
For a while now, I have felt that few teams who have reached May sitting in a Champions League final while also leading their league have received the criticism Arsenal have had.
Banter on social media is natural, especially in a world where content creators seem to believe the quickest way to get views is by shouting down a camera and mocking other clubs.
Yet, for some time, it has felt like the disrespect towards the Gunners has crossed the line from rivalry into spitefulness.
Arsenal have refused to lower their standards
When we lost at the Etihad last month, I watched a Manchester City fan, for the second week in a row, being spotted on television drinking out of an Arsenal bottle.
I would love to tell you that what goes around comes around, but sadly that is not always the case.
So maybe this is naive, but I have had a feeling for a while that Arsenal have been so disrespected that they might just end up having the final laugh.
When the entrance to Highbury was being painted, Herbert Chapman personally paid for marble paint out of his own pocket.
He wanted the first impression any visitor had to be that this club does things the right way.
Carrying on those principles, our manager and players have refused to rise to provocation.
Even Everton, though, spotted the irony on Monday when the same City fan with the bottle was once again seen in the crowd. As the Toffees themselves pointed out, the bottle stayed in his pocket this time and never came out.
He went viral again, although apparently he has not enjoyed the teasing.
Which, in a nutshell, sums up social media. A grown man using a platform to say and do whatever he wishes, but unhappy the moment the narrative no longer goes exactly his way.
Arsenal can let football do the talking
After the Bournemouth experience, I would be foolish to take anything for granted.
Yet, if we are champions in the next few weeks, I would love our celebrations to involve the trophy sitting in the middle of the pitch, our players huddled around it, all collectively drinking from a bottle.
We will not do that, though, because Arsenal still have too much class for that.
Your thoughts Gooners?
Dan Smith
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Well said.
Banter is normal and has always been a part of football but has really gone off the rail with the rise of social media and attention seeking snowflakes. It is no longer even banter and more like bullying where Arsenal fans are being constantly been told to curb their emotions, joy, hope and dreams. What is even football without those, 22 men stupidly running behind a single ball. Luckily this immature and stupid stain is mostly limited to online world though the constant barrage has slowly seeped into real world when people believe the agenda coming from idiots like Neville.
Off topic, Does Arsenal have an Ultra fan base now ? I can’t help but notice a section of the fans at home games wearing black shirts at our home games at the Emirates, they give of vibes of being some sort of Ultras like other European clubs , and they seem to be the loudest in cheering the players on. I like it , I won’t lie. The whole thing just feels like we know we are about to make history in Europe.
COYG.
The Ashburton Army… I think they were brought in to improve the atmosphere
Ok thanks.
To follow on from Sue, Emperor Augustus, they have been around for a couple of seasons before this one.
The club decided they were becoming too big, I believe.
They are situated in the Clock End at the front and it looks like a hardcore of around fifty to one hundred.
They have a “drummer” who thumps out a senseless and uneven rhythm throughout the match and have Ben jeered at by opposing fans because of this!!
All in all, a very small part of the Emirates stadium fan group.
However, if they DID organise the pre match fireworks outside the Emirates, as the team coach arrived, it was brilliantly done and set the groundwork for what went on inside the Emirates.
Perhaps the club might even let them get bigger, but they certainly need a better drummer!!
I believe we can surpass Man City’s EPL and UCL achievements after Guardiola leaves them, as long as Kroenke is still generous and Arteta still has the energy to do so
I like the thinking GAI. I do also believe it’s in this clubs DNA to dominate for a number of years, and it may not just be under arteta. But we do just need that first title in 20 years first.
Name me a club where some of its fan base don’t get over excited by the prospect of winning something or being happy to take the proverbial P out of their opponents when results go against them.
There’s some good punditry on Talksport mixed with a couple of @&£. Everyone knows which presenter supports which team and generally banter is par for the course and funny. Gabby Agbonlahor on the other hand takes his dislike of Arsenal to another level and it cheapens his credibility and that of the station. He could barely contain himself after our win over AM. I’m not so secretly hoping Forest beat them later. Similarly, I’m waiting for Haaland to eat his words. Stay humble as you would say, Dan.
The bottle bloke will hopefully get his comeuppance too when Arsenal win the league. 🤞It’s easy to mock but not so easy to accept when the tables are turned.
@Dan
m.Thanks for the article.
The citeh nugget who went viral with the bottle and seen to drink arsenal fans tears had been so fixed on arsenal that he completely forgot the north-west football rivalry that goes back as far as antiquity. A few of us on Dan’s predictions registered that this tie would be a draw. Scouse teams do their uttermost to usurp manchester teams. This rivalry goes back into antiquity and is underpinned by religion and secular thought.
So the undoing of Citeh115 had much to do with them underestimating EFC who do have a title winners history comparable to Man City’s own.
Of course the pendulum has swung in arsenal’s favor but its incumbent on us to finish the job. And if EVER Man-City fanbase doubted arsenal as bone fide rivals? the next few games will put an end to much of their fans bull****.
^^ ^^
This rivalry goes back into antiquity and is underpinned by religion and sectarianism.
Who is going to look the real Gonk at the end of the season?
Great article, well written, honest, balanced.
I hope the football Gods haven’t forgotten about that muppet and his silly bottle antics at Chelsea, if we win the league I’m getting that image on a t-shirt with the caption above “bottle jobs 25/26 premier league champions” please Arsenal get the job done so we can all celebrate at this clowns expense.
I wouldn’t say our fan base have class TBF.
The last 5-10 years I’ve been flabbergasted at some of the crap I’ve read from fellow Arsenal(Arteta) fans .
Every team as odd fans but the last 5 years on JA have been a ride that’s for sure .
This city fan with his bottle, reminds me of the manure fans who had shirts printed, taking the michael out of Arsene Wenger, regarding his belief that we could go through a season unbeaten – look how that turned out!!!
I’m sure, come the end of the season, the charges against Manchester City will be finally addressed and if they are found to be innocent of all charges, recognition of their era of dominance should be recognised.
If they are found guilty, I would expect them to be relegated, with points deductions, a really hefty fine and banned from signing players for two seasons as a minimum – such would be the level of corruption and damage done to our game, the PL, all the other clubs involved in the PL since 2008 up and until the end of this current season.
can’t see them being relegated I’m afraid
Why not Dan?
just don’t think that will happen
a big points deduction is the best we can hope for
hope I’m wrong of course
I hope we can pull off PL and CL both and then enjoy the frustrations of rival fans.
Either ways, when rivals are obsessed with you be certain that you are on to something big
Bottle Guy will have to swallow it if we win either the Premier League or Champions League, and we’ll probably see no more of him, ever.
oh we will
and rightfully so
I want him in every montage whenever they show us lifting the Prem
if we lift the Prem have him on the big screen
Most likely, but probably not doing it live at any more matches, unless he’s a complete thicky.