Chelsea legend John Terry brutally trolls Arsenal after Man Utd defeat as he toasts Gunners' failure to match Blues' Jose Mourinho-inspired Premier League defensive record

Arsenal were briefly on course to erase that entry from the history books, with a watertight start to the current campaign being enjoyed. After eight matches, with just three goals being conceded, the Gunners were being breached on average 0.38 times per game. That left them on course to ship just 14.4 efforts in total.

Mikel Arteta’s side have, however, been unable to maintain those remarkable standards. Old adversaries United were able to find the target on three occasions during a thrilling encounter at Emirates Stadium on Sunday - with the Red Devils prevailing 3-2 on the day.

Arsenal have now conceded 17 goals this season, which means that Chelsea’s title-winning heroes from 21 years ago can rest easy for another 12 months. With Terry leading the way as club captain, the Blues shipped just 15 efforts across the entire 2004-05 campaign.

The Gunners will not be overly concerned at missing out on that record if they are able to go on and capture the Premier League title, but Terry has taken great delight in reminding former rivals that they will remain in the shadow of a team that he marshalled to domestic glory.

After seeing Arsenal come unstuck against United, former Chelsea and England captain skipper Terry posted on social media: “The record is safe for another year.”

He went on to say in an accompanying video: “January the 25th, 2026 and the record is safe. Man United 2, Arsenal 1. Still 25 minutes to go but the record is safe for another season. So Petr Cech, Paulo Ferreira, Ricky Carvalho, William Gallas, it's time to celebrate with a bottle or a glass of red wine.

“I'm going for the bottle for celebration tonight. But guys let me know your thoughts. Can this record of 15 goals conceded in one season ever be beaten? I'm saying no. I have to say I was a little bit worried the way Arsenal started the season and how well they started but it's only January and the record has already gone and it's safe for another year. I still get frustrated today, it could have been sub 10.”

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Terry admitted back in November, after seeing Arsenal burst out of the blocks in style, that he was a little concerned about Chelsea’s efforts from 2004-05 being bettered. He said at the time: “I have to say I'm actually a little bit worried now.

“I'm looking at their fixtures on a weekly basis, seeing where they're going to potentially concede goals but I have to say, I have to give them credit, they look very good at the moment. I still think it's going to be too much to beat our record but being honest, I'm a little nervous.”

Arsenal's defeat against United was their first in the Premier League on home soil this season. They looked nervous at times, with the Red Devils refusing to sit back and soak up pressure, with that anxiety spilling over into the stands.

Questions will inevitably be asked of whether the Gunners can regroup and bring their long wait for title glory to a close. They have finished as runners-up in each of the last three seasons.

The fabled ‘Invincibles’ of 2003-04 were the last Arsenal team to capture a domestic crown, with that iconic team surrendering said prize to Mourinho and Terry the following year - as Chelsea opened an exciting new era in west London.

The Gunners and Blues will both be in Champions League action this week, as they complete the league phase of that competition, and will see their paths cross again on February 3 when taking in the second leg of a Carabao Cup semi-final clash that the Gunners currently lead 3-2 on aggregate.