Arsenal better be prepared for epic online meltdown following crushing loss

Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta. Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Arsenal FC better be prepared for epic online meltdown following crushing loss to Manchester City

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Apr 19, 2026 4:08 PM ET

Many Arsenal FC fans may be sharing angry tweets with the team on the verge of collapse.

Manchester City forward Erling Haaland scored a clutch goal in the 65th minute of its home match against Arsenal on Sunday, which lifted the club to a 2-1 victory over its English Premier League rival. It's a critical win for Manchester City (20-7-5, 67 points), which now trails league-leading Arsenal (21-7-5, 70 points) by just three points. That should leave the Gunners fan base feeling even more uptight with five matches remaining in Premier League play.

Arsenal's loss to Manchester City creates even more reason for concern

"The online meltdown will be epic," CBS Sports' Troy Deeney said following Arsenal's loss.

The social media vitriol will only grow if Arsenal doesn't get its act together heading into its match against Newcastle United (12-6-15, 42 points) on Saturday. The team has now lost two of its last four matches. Manchester City, meanwhile, has won two of its past four matches, while the others ended in draws. Note: Wins count for three points in the Premier League, draws count for one, while losses yield none.

THIS IS HAALAND'S HOUSE. ️
The Etihad ROARS with Erling Haaland's strike for the Man City lead. pic.twitter.com/y12n6X92iJ
— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) April 19, 2026

"The online meltdown will be epic." @T_Deeney expecting chaos online after Arsenal fall to Man City pic.twitter.com/CQRm7f0fq4
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) April 19, 2026

While Arsenal still holds the lead in the points table, a club of Manchester City's pedigree nipping at its heels ramps up the pressure, increasing the chance it chokes the league title away. Manchester City, of course, has won four of the past six Premier League titles. Arsenal hasn't won the league since the 2003-04 season.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta knows his team isn't in a great position, but he believes the loss to Manchester City could be a needed wake-up call.

"I believe today. I believed on Wednesday, I believed a week ago," Arteta said, per Steve Douglas of the Associated Press. "Because I see them every day, and I know the level that we have.

"But if today they need to be more convinced. They were talking about it in the dressing room. It's a new league now ... everything is still to play for."

Arsenal must elevate its game for the rest of the season. Otherwise, the team will miss out on winning the Premier League, and even more online backlash will be directed at Arteta.

Clark Dalton

Clark Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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