Chelsea ‘deserve another red card’ for brutal ‘London’s Home of Trophies’ jibe at Arsenal as Blues send message to Gunners in the wake of Champions League final defeat

Chelsea wasted no time rubbing salt into Arsenal's wounds on Saturday night as the Blues' social media team took aim at the Gunners' failure to secure their first-ever Champions League title. After a 1-1 draw at the Puskas Arena, a wild spot kick from Gabriel proved fatal in the shootout, handing the trophy to the French giants.

While the Arsenal players were still reeling from the defeat, Chelsea’s official accounts posted an advertisement for their stadium tours with the pointed tagline "Come and visit London’s Home of Trophies." The post featured the Champions League trophy prominently, serving as a cold-blooded reminder that the Blues remain the only club in the capital to have won the competition, having done so in 2012 and 2021.

Several hours after the initial jibe, the Chelsea social media team adopted a more light-hearted tone to address the controversy. Referencing their disciplinary struggles during the 2025-26 campaign, the club posted: "We probably deserve another red card for that last post! But in all seriousness, congratulations to Arsenal on winning the Premier League and a great run in the Champions League. Looking forward to picking up the battle again with you next season." The "another red card" comment was a self-deprecating nod to Chelsea's record-breaking season on the pitch, where they accumulated eight dismissals in the Premier League.

Chelsea weren't the only ones enjoying Arsenal's continental misery. Crystal Palace, who recently toasted their own success as Conference League winners, also poked fun at the Gunners by posting a photo of their trophy lift captioned "European champions." Nottingham Forest were also quick to join the mockery. Despite finishing just five points clear of the relegation zone, Forest still took a cheeky swipe by posting an image of club legend John Robertson lifting the first of their back-to-back European Cups.

It served as another piece of evidence that, despite Arsenal's domestic dominance, their lack of a European star remains a primary target for rivals.

Away from the social media banter, Arteta expressed his devastation at the manner of the defeat, stating: "It's very tough to accept when you are so consistent in the competition all the way to the final and you lose it on penalty kicks. It's a difficult one." Midfielder Declan Rice echoed his manager's sentiments after the campaign ended with a lottery defeat. "It's gutting. It's devastating to lose the Champions League final on penalties," Rice admitted.

Despite the heartbreak, the evidence suggests Arsenal will remain serious contenders, even if they must endure the trolling from 10th-placed Chelsea for the time being as the hierarchy in London remains unchanged.