There is no shame in banter, but the Premier League has gotten to a point where fans are divided into three: fans of Arsenal, fans of Arsenal's rivals, and a few in-between. Even those who claim to support the most successful clubs in the country fall into the latter category.

In the last four Premier League seasons, you either are a fan of Arsenal or a rival fan, because almost everyone got behind the teams competing with the Gunners whenever their own teams, as consistent as they have been, fell short in this period.

For their own fans, Arsenal's first league title in over two decades couldn't have come in a better way, especially as no one gave them a chance at the start of the season, with rival fans and pundits alike claiming they would bottle it again after three consecutive runner-up finishes.

Liverpool looked like they were going to go all the way to defend their title with a record-equaling start on the back of an enviable summer business. Then it became a tense affair among four teams, before the Gunners moved ahead of the chasers around October.

Then, a couple of poor results drew City and Aston Villa closer in December, when rival fans started to get behind both, thinking Mikel Arteta's team would again falter in their league lead.

However, at the turn of the year, it became a two-horse race. Although the North Londoners held the advantage having played more games, surely they could have done better at that point.

Dropped points against Wolves, Liverpool, Manchester United, and Nottingham Forest ensured Manchester City stayed alive in the race. Still, Arsenal's advantage remained until April, following an impressive run in March that helped their manager win the 'cursed' Manager of the Month award.

The Moment Rival Fans Came Alive

Arsenal's title hopes appeared to be gone after back-to-back defeats to Bournemouth and Manchester City in April, which coincided with a run of just one win in seven games, as well as a loss in the Carabao Cup final.

Rival fans came alive with the 'bottler' narrative, getting behind every team that came up against the Gunners. And after the Gunners' loss at the Etihad, when City took control of the league race, rival fans went into a massive celebratory mode.

The Stamford Bridge Disgrace

Before the slip in April, just to see Arsenal rescind their lead, rival fans even supported Manchester City against their own clubs, and look no further for the likes than the utter humiliation that took place at Stamford Bridge

The fans of Arsenal's London rivals, Chelsea, not only supported but celebrated City's goals in a 3-0 victory at Stamford Bridge as it helped the Mancunians close the gap on Arsenal, one of the results that ultimately saw the club finish tenth and miss out on Europe.

This behavior mirrors that of Tottenham Hotspur fans in 2024, when they celebrated after their star forward Heung-Min Son missed glorious chance that could have given Arsenal the title, in a match they ultimately lost 2-0 to City.

However, the final month of this season would be a total humbling of the bantering, as Arsenal went on to win their final five games of the season, keeping a clean sheet in the first four until Jean-Philippe Mateta beat Kepa Arrizabalaga on the final day.

The Gunners didn't just win the league title; they did so with a seven-point gap over second-place City, recording the largest margin by which anyone has ever beaten Pep Guardiola in a title race.

Fans of Arsenal, Plastics, and a Few in-between 

Arsenal are the only team to consistently challenge for the Premier League title in the last four seasons, taking on Liverpool once, Manchester City twice, and the duo in a three-horse race in 2023-24.

And every time, fans of Manchester United, Chelsea, and others have backed either City or Liverpool, even wishing for their own teams to lose games to Arsenal's rivals just to spice up their bottler narratives.

While their own teams have consistently finished below the Gunners, they took joy in the fact that Arsenal were not champions. Now that the Gunners have gotten the job done, the players and fans are not shy to repay the favour by flaunting their championship medals.

Nevertheless, there is no shame for the shameless.

Ahead of Arsenal's Champions League final date with PSG, the focus of rival fans has switched to this, and the French club has been enjoying support far beyond the abilities of their own fan base because English fans have trooped in.

Budapest; The Last Stand of the Obsessed

This desperate migration across the English Channel highlights the sheer extent of the obsession. For rival fans, domestic failure is easily masked as long as they can pray for Arsenal’s downfall on the continent.

PSG has suddenly become the spiritual home for every displaced Manchester United, Chelsea, and Tottenham fan in England, all united by a single, desperate hope: that Luis Enrique’s side can do what the Premier League failed to do, and stop the Gunners.

But if the domestic campaign taught us anything, it is that this Arsenal side thrives on the weight of collective animosity. Arteta’s men have spent the last nine months breaking curses, silencing stadiums, and rewriting historical trends.

A historic European double looms in the UEFA Champions League final in Budapest, and the narrative has completely flipped. Should Ødegaard lift the big ears come full-time, rival fans will run out of borders to cross and clubs to hide behind.

The banter era is officially over; the Arsenal era has begun. No amount of borrowed French flags can change the reality that North London now rules supreme, while the hatred that accompanies it will only enhance the taste of victory.

And maybe then, clubs can again enjoy the undiluted support of their own fans, which is always the case at the start of the season, but not longer than a team stands out to compete with Arsenal for the Premier League title.