Former Chelsea FC midfielder John Obi Mikel has stated that no supporter or former player of the club would want Arsenal FC to win the Premier League title.
Mikel made the remark on his Obi One Podcast released on Monday as the title race intensifies, stressing that the long-standing rivalry between the two London clubs makes such support unlikely.
He said, “No Chelsea ex-player or fan will ever want to see Arsenal win the Premier League.
Responding to criticism from Arsenal supporters, Mikel rejected claims that such views reflect a “small club” mentality. He recalled that interactions between players and fans of both sides were often tense, even outside match situations.
To all Arsenal fans saying, ‘Mikel, you are too harsh on us,’ I’m Chelsea, and you can take it personally. I don’t want you to win the Premier League.
“We hated each other; the rivalry was crazy [back then]. We smashed each other. And when I went out after the games in London or whenever it was, when I saw Arsenal fans or players, we never spoke to each other. Sometimes, even our friends got into fights.”
Mikel also warned that failure to win the title this season would be a major setback for Arsenal.
“These Arsenal players, they have to understand that this is their probably, if they don’t win it (Premier League) this season. It’s probably going to be the biggest disaster in the history of the Premier League for them.
“It’s going to be the biggest disaster for them because right now, if they had won that game [against Bournemouth] on Saturday. It will be 12 points.
“They took their foot off the gas over the weekend, and Manchester City came right back, and right now it is 6 points.”
He added that Mikel Arteta must find solutions quickly, as the team currently appears unsettled and lacking direction.
Arsenal missed the chance to extend their lead after a surprise 2–1 defeat to AFC Bournemouth, while Manchester City reduced the gap with a 3–0 victory over Chelsea.
With six matches remaining, Arsenal remain top of the table with a six-point lead over second-placed Manchester City, who still have a game in hand. Both teams are set to face each other this weekend in a potentially decisive clash in the title race.