Chelsea mocked Arsenal shortly after their London rivals lost on penalties in the Champions League final. The Gunners lost 4-3 on penalties, with Gabriel Magalhães firing a vital penalty shot over the crossbar. The teams were unable to pull apart in extra time, drawing 1-1, with former Chelsea forward Kai Havertz’s sixth-minute opener in Budapest canceled out by Ousmane Dembele’s second-half penalty.
However, Arsenal suffered a heartbreak despite David Raya saving from Nuno Mendes. After Eberechi Eze’s spot-kick went wide, Gabriel fired skyward and Arsenal had their last shot from 12 yards. And just minutes after Gabriel left, two-time European Cup winners Chelsea wrote on social media: “Visit London, the home of the trophy. Book your Stamford Bridge stadium tour now.” The Blues’ post also included pictures of replica Champions League and Club World Cup trophies, as well as snaps of banners inside their home stadium reading “London’s Best” and “Pride of London”.
As expected, the post was very well received by Chelsea fans, who relished the opportunity to remind themselves that Arsenal won the Champions League twice, in 2012 and 2021.
In their replies, Arsenal fans wanted to tell Chelsea they had been crowned English champions just a few weeks ago. But before this heartbreak, the north Londoners had only lost twice in the Champions League final, losing to Barcelona in Paris in 2006.
Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice, who grew up in Chelsea’s youth team from a young age and was released at the age of 14, responded: “It’s disappointing. It’s a shock to lose on penalties in the Champions League final. But it’s been a great season. We gave it our all. It’s the lottery, that’s football.”
“Some of the best teams of all time have lost on penalties in finals. We win together and we lose together. I’m so proud of this group and our players. It’s been a great season. It’s been unbelievable. Of course I’m disappointed, but it’s been a great journey this season and I’ll be back.”
Arsenal wrote of X: “It’s been a season to be proud of. We pushed boundaries across land and sea. We couldn’t have done it without your support. Thank you, Gooners.”
On the other hand, manager Mikel Arteta said, “It’s very difficult to accept that we lost on penalties after playing consistently until the final.It’s difficult.”
He added in the post-match press conference: “Certainly what I said to the players and the staff is that a million thank yous are not enough. It’s not because we won and it’s the joy we get every day.”
Asked about the penalty decision that didn’t go Arsenal’s way when Noni Madueke went down in the penalty area, Arteta said: “If, what, if. That’s not what happened and that’s it. We have to improve and find other margins to improve.”
The Gunners are the team with the most games in the history of the European Cup/UEFA Champions League without ever lifting the trophy, and have now played 226 games without winning a trophy.
