One of the most remarkable things I witnessed after the UCL final had nothing to do with football tactics, refereeing decisions or even the result itself.
Arsenal lost on penalties.
In the biggest match of their careers, Gabriel and Eze were the two players who missed from the spot. The modern football landscape has conditioned us to expect what comes next:
- Abuse.
- Scapegoating.
- Personal attacks.
- And in far too many cases, racial abuse.
Many rival supporters were already waiting for Arsenal fans to turn on their own players. They expected outrage, finger pointing & the same toxic reaction we have sadly seen so many times across football.
Instead, Arsenal supporters responded in a completely different way, they rallied around Gabriel and Eze, reminded them of everything they had contributed throughout the season, that one penalty does not erase months of sacrifice, commitment and performances that helped deliver a EPL and a UCL final appearance.
The response was so overwhelming that Gabriel’s shirt sales reportedly skyrocketed in the days that followed, think about that for a second, a player misses one of the most important penalties in Arsenal’s history and the supporters respond by buying more of his shirts.
Not because they enjoyed the defeat / weren’t hurting.
But because they understood that supporting a football club means standing by your players in the worst moments, not just the best ones.
That is what support looks like.
That is what loyalty looks like.
And in a football culture increasingly driven by outrage and online abuse, Arsenal supporters showed the world that empathy, class and unity still exist.
You don’t have to win every trophy to make people proud.
Sometimes the way you respond to heartbreak says even more about who you are.
This club, these players and these supporters should be proud of that❤️
COYG
@Theoladeledada@boniface_jrn Victor,I hail sure you doing good. Sad no world cup but we go again.
Nations cup qualifiers coming up.
Am looking forward.
Enjoy your holidays.......e no easy.
WHAT ARSENAL'S DEFEAT TO PSG TAUGHT US 🤔.
take 2mins to reflect on this 🥰❤️💯
When the final whistle blew and Arsenal's champions league journey came to an end, something stood out.
It was not PSG 's celebration. It was not a disappointment among Arsenal supporters.
It was the reaction of the rival fans , many celebrating Arsenal's defeat with the same passion one would expect from winning a trophy 🏆 themselves.
1. Chelsea fans celebrated .
2. Manchester United fans celebrated.
3.Liverpool fans celebrated .
And it led me to reflect on a deeper lesson that extends far beyond football.
Often, our greatest challenges do not come from our obvious opponents.
They come from those closest to our circles, people who appear supporting, yet quietly struggle with our progress.
People who can tolerate our efforts but become uncomfortable when success starts to feel attainable .
The reality is that many people are not concerned about your journey.
Their reactions only changes when it appears that you may actually reach your destination.
Few people pay attention when you are struggling.
Few feel threatened when you are failing. Few lose sleep when you remain unoticed
But as success draws nearer, hidden emotions often begin to emerge
1. Jealousy
2. Competition
3. Resentment
4. Insecurity
That is one lessons Arsenal's defeat reminded me of.
The football world once again demonstrated how people can sometimes celebrate another person's failure more enthusiastically than their achievements.
And this is not unique to football, it is a reflection of life itself. Many individuals find comfort in seeing others fall because it shields them from comparison.
Your success challenges their excuses
Your progress disrupts their comfort. Your achievements remind them of ambitions they may have abandoned.
Yet there is another side to the lesson:
1. Arsenal's defeat does not erase Arsenal's journey
2. One loss does not invalidate years of growth, develop, and progress.
Every meaningful success story contains moments of disappointment, moments when opportunities slip away, critics became louder than supporters, and tge world seems more interested in your failure than your effort.
However, those who ultimately succeed are often the ones who continue moving forward despite the noise.
Perhaps the lesson is simple:
1. Fo jo measure your future by the applause or criticism of others.
2. The same people celebrating your setback today may one day witness your comeback.
Therefore,
1. Keep building
2. Keep improving.
3. Keep moving forward.
Because in football, as in life, the final whistle that truly matters is not the one that ends a match, it is the one that ends the journey.
And until that moment arrives, the story is still being written.
N.O
Man City won leagues and people shrugged. Arsenal win the league and rival fans turn into full-time analysts, historians and therapists overnight. 😂 Arsenal really slapped the entire football world awake.
Dear Arsenal fans,
Let's take a moment to have an introspection.
I think you should be expectant for next season 2026/2027
We've got the UCL setback off our back now as the trophy parade we had yesterday dwarf any that has been ever done in the UK, so partially I now understand why rivals don't want us to win...
It isn't easy to see that sea of humans and not feel threatened.
Am already happy for the coming season
This season has been one of the most exhilarating one we've witnessed in a long while.
But follow me down memory lane..
- in 2022/2023 Arsenal competed in Europa league,
+ 2nd round defeat by Sporting CP
+ 4th round defeat by Manchester City in FA cup
+ 3rd round defeat by Brighton in 3rd round
+ 2nd in the league with 84 point
After adding Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko in the summer and Leo Trosaard to bolster our attack in winter
- Came back in 23/24 and this time with
+ UCL quarter final defeat against Bayern Munich
+ 2nd in the league with 89point
+ 3rd round FA cup defeat by Liverpool
+ 4th round EFL Cup defeat by west ham
After adding Declan Rice, Kai Havertz to our rank with Raya on loan.
- In 24/25 season, the team though ravaged with injury got to
+ UCL semi final against PSG
+ 2nd in the league to Liverpool who surprised everyone due to Klopp leaving and Arne slot coming onboard so wasn't expected to challenge for the league.
+ Carabao Cup semi final against Newcastle
+ 4th round FA Cup
We added Riccardo Calafiori, Mikel Merino to our rank in the summer transfer and then made David Raya loan deal permanent. (Also took Neto and Sterling on loan, but less said about those the better 🤣)
- Then 25/26 season came on board and so far, we achieved
+ 1st in the league (EPL champion after 22years which is our first priority for all these years since our last GOLDEN UNBEATEN season.
+ finalist ( UCL)
+ Finalist Carabao Cup
+ Quarter final FA Cup
While adding Viktor Gyokores,Eberechi Eze, Martin Zubimendi, Noni Madueke, Cristhian Mosquera, Christian Norgaard, Kepa Arrizabalaga and Piero Hincapie on loan.
If you look closely, you will see the steady progress year on year....
So I am already overjoyed for the upcoming season, though I must reiterate, it will be cringe to get ahead of myself but I am excited for what will come in 2026/2027 season.
What about you ?