Robbie Williams fires shots at Arsenal with Tottenham jab at the Emirates

Which leads to the inevitable debate: who had the better season? Arsenal, runners-up in arguably the toughest league in the world, pushing Manchester City to the final stretch? Or Tottenham, Europa League winners who endured a domestic campaign that nearly imploded? Success wears many faces, some wear silver medals, others raise trophies from the shadows.

For Tottenham Hotspur, this season was about ending a narrative, one that had clung to them like a shadow for nearly two decades. Seventeen long years without silverware had become the punchline of too many jokes. But not anymore. With limited resources, a reshuffled squad, and a Premier League campaign that wavered dangerously close to collapse, Ange Postecoglou delivered something few expected: European glory. The Europa League title, often dismissed by the elite, now gleamed with rare significance in the white half of North London.

Contrast that with Arsenal. Mikel Arteta’s side thrilled neutrals and terrified rivals for most of the season. They went toe-to-toe with Manchester City in the Premier League and reached the semi-finals of the Champions League, a stage they hadn’t graced in years. Yet, when the dust settled, there were no trophies in the cabinet. Only near-misses. Only what-ifs. And in football, as cruel as it may be, the record books don’t remember effort — only outcomes.

That’s why Robbie Williams’ crack at the Emirates wasn’t just a throwaway joke. It struck a nerve because it echoed what many Arsenal fans fear deep down: that despite all the progress, they are still coming away empty-handed. Worse yet, it came just as their fiercest rivals finally had something tangible to hold onto. For once, it’s Arsenal fans hearing the mocking chants, and it hurts.

And yet, in a twist that stunned even their own supporters, Tottenham sacked the very man who led them to glory. Just days after lifting the Europa League trophy, Ange Postecoglou was shown the door. It was a decision that felt cold, almost clinical, punishing a 17th-place Premier League finish rather than rewarding the breaking of a 17-year curse. From a purely sporting perspective, one might argue it was justified. Survival in the league is non-negotiable. But football isn’t played on spreadsheets alone. Emotion matters. Timing matters. And in this case, Tottenham’s call severed what should have been a unifying, celebratory moment in the club’s modern history.

This is the dissonance at the heart of today’s game. What once belonged to communities, to terrace songs and shared rituals, now operates under the sterile light of commercial logic. Clubs have become brands. Managers are assets or liabilities. Even moments of triumph are filtered through strategic reviews and quarterly reports. Maybe that’s why Postecoglou’s sacking felt so brutal. Maybe that’s why Robbie Williams’ joke felt like more than just banter.