why Arsenal’s mug shot was more bitter: the year the London club won the..

in 2024-25, Arsenal finished another trophy-less season despite a respectable second-place finish in the Premier League, while their London rivals all lifted the trophy, making Arsenal’s irrelevance all the more poignant.

london clubs won trophies in 2024-25

chelsea: Won the UEFA Conference League (4-1 over Real Betis; won all three UEFA-run competitions)

tottenham Hotspur: Won UEFA Europa League (1-0 final win over Manchester United, first European trophy in 41 years)

crystal Palace: Won the FA Cup (defeated Man City to win their first FA Cup in 120 years)

arsenal: Best league record… but no trophies

second in the Premier League (20 wins, 14 draws and 4 losses, 74 points), the highest finish of any London club

however, since winning the 2020 FA Cup, they have been irrelevant for five consecutive years, finishing runners-up or in the quarterfinals in both cup and European competitions

why it’s more bitter

in a season where London’s main rivals (Chelsea, Tottenham, Crystal Palace) all won trophies

an ironic situation where Arsenal did well in the league, but couldn’t smile comfortably at the end of the season

Local media, including the BBC, said that “trophies are the true proof of an elite club” and that the pressure on Arteta and Arsenal was growing

arsenal’s inaction was made all the more bitter by the fact that all of their London rivals had lifted the trophy. At a time when a trophy-less growth narrative is no longer comforting, Arsenal have the task of proving it next season.