'Not the top club in London!' - William Gallas claims Arsenal are 'being laughed at' by Chelsea & Tottenham fans in brutal rant over lack of silverware under Mikel Arteta

Former Arsenal and Chelsea defender William Gallas has scoffed at the notion that the Gunners are London's top club at present following their superior Premier League finishes to their local rivals. The Frenchman also criticised manager Mikel Arteta for failing to deliver the club silverware for five years and claimed that Chelsea and Spurs will be much happier with their respective Conference League and Europa League triumphs in 2025.

He told Prime Casino: "Excuse me?! The top club in London? I’m sorry, but Arsenal have not been the top club in London over the last few years. What have Arsenal won in the last few years? Absolutely nothing. How many trophies have they lifted? Zero. You can’t claim that Arsenal are the top club in London. OK, they’ve finished second three seasons in a row, but that means nothing. They haven’t won a thing! If Arsenal fans think they’re the top club in London, honestly, they’re being laughed at. Chelsea fans are laughing at you. Tottenham fans are laughing at you.

"Do you know why? Because both of those clubs have won trophies and Arsenal have won absolutely nothing. Arsenal finished second. End of discussion. There are no prizes for second. OK, they’ve finished above Chelsea and Tottenham, but those clubs got their hands on silver; they lifted trophies. The Conference League, people will say it was a small competition and that Chelsea should have won it, but by doing that they became the first club in the world to win every single major European trophy. Arsenal fans would be dreaming to be able to say something like that, but they have nothing. Tottenham, they had a horrible season in the Premier League, but it didn’t matter because they won the Europa League and qualified for the Champions League.

"Did Arsenal win a European trophy last season? The Arsenal fans may not like me for saying it, they may criticise me again blah, blah blah, but let me tell you one thing: the only thing that matters to a professional footballer is what trophies you win. It’s as simple as that. If you asked the Arsenal players, would you have liked to have swapped with Tottenham or Chelsea this season, they would be diplomatic and say no, but trust me, those players will be jealous that they haven’t experienced the feeling of winning silverware. The Arsenal fans may not like me for it, but the simple truth is that you’re not the top club in London. Top clubs win titles. You can only claim to be the top club when you lift a trophy."

While Arsenal have been closer to winning the Premier League than Chelsea and Tottenham in recent seasons, they have not won a trophy since 2020. If the Gunners continue to fall short when it comes to lifting silverware, manager Arteta could be under pressure to keep his job.

Arsenal will hope to start their pre-season campaign on a bright note when they take on AC Milan, Newcastle United, and Tottenham in late July. Arteta's team then begin their Premier League campaign away at Manchester United on August 17.