Chelsea wasted no time twisting the knife into Arsenal after the Gunners suffered a heartbreaking Champions League final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain on penalties.
Arsenal had appeared to be on course for glory when Kai Havertz gave them the lead after just six minutes, and PSG struggled to find a way through for much of the opening half. However, the defending champions drew level from the spot on 65 minutes after Cristian Mosquera fouled Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, with Ousmane Dembele stepping up to convert.
Neither side could find a winner in extra time, with Viktor Gyokeres going closest when his effort was deflected behind for a corner. The match was eventually settled by a penalty shootout, where Eberechi Eze put Arsenal on the back foot by firing his second-round kick wide. David Raya then kept the Gunners alive by saving Nuno Mendes’ effort, before Gabriel Magalhaes levelled at 4-4 to force sudden death — only to then blaze the decisive penalty over the bar and seal a crushing defeat.
It was a particularly bitter pill to swallow for a club still waiting for their first ever Champions League title, and Chelsea were quick to capitalise on the moment. Despite finishing ninth in the Premier League and facing a season without European football, the Blues took to Instagram to promote stadium tours at Stamford Bridge — cheekily billing it as “London’s Home of Trophies.” They accompanied the post with images of their Champions League trophy, lifted against Bayern Munich in 2012, and their Club World Cup title won last summer under Enzo Maresca.
Off the pitch, Chelsea have moved to install Xabi Alonso as manager from July 1, with the Spaniard reportedly set to be handed greater authority over transfers and sporting decisions than those who came before him under current owners Blueco.
Arsenal, meanwhile, will regroup as reigning Premier League champions, having reached their first Champions League final in two decades only to fall agonisingly short. Midfielder Declan Rice reflected on the painful night in his post-match interview, saying it was gutting and devastating, but credited the team’s remarkable journey across 63 games and insisted they would be back.
