Clicks, Crisis, and the Club We Love: Arsenal’s Modern Fan Divide
Back in 2017, Arsenal fans faced a divided atmosphere. The team was drifting under Wenger, and the fanbase was split between loyalty and frustration. Today in 2025, even with Arsenal rebuilt into one of Europe’s strongest sides under Mikel Arteta, the divisions have reappeared, though the football is unrecognizably stronger.
Being a Supporter in 2025
I’m often told I’m “part of the problem” at Arsenal because I try to look at the positives. For me, supporting Arsenal has never been about tearing the club down. I’ve been through the lean years, the trophy years, and now this new era under Arteta. What hasn’t changed is my choice to support with perspective and optimism.
Arsenal are back competing at the highest level, playing football that reflects the values of the club. Yet you’d think we were in crisis if you spent too long online. Any piece of news, whether it’s a contract update, a transfer rumor, or an injury report, quickly turns sour. Certain accounts thrive on outrage, creating vitriol in the name of clicks and engagement. What should be a normal debate gets twisted into full-blown crisis talk. The toxicity that weighed us down in Wenger’s last years has reappeared, shaped by the social media cycle.
From Wenger to Arteta
Wenger gave Arsenal an identity: expressive football, commitment to attacking play, and the courage to do things differently. For all his flaws in the later years, he held onto principles that defined the club. Back then, the noise around him was relentless. Fans demanded immediate success and treated every setback as betrayal.
Fast forward to today. Arteta has restored belief, modernized the team, and made Arsenal relevant at the very top again. We’re seeing players developed into leaders, tactics that evolve season to season, and a culture built on accountability. It’s what many fans dreamed of during those later Wenger years. And yet, even in this period of growth, the arguments among supporters have reappeared. The context has changed, but the cycle of division feels familiar.
What It Means to Be Arsenal
Arsenal has always done things in a certain way. This club has never been about buying success at any cost. It’s about building, developing, and sustaining something bigger than any single manager or player. That’s true now as much as it was in the past.
Other clubs sack managers at the first sign of difficulty. Some pour money into the squad with no plan beyond short-term results. Arsenal has chosen a harder but more sustainable path. Arteta has been trusted to manage, to set standards, and to shape the club’s future. Whether you agree with every decision or not, it’s a privilege to support a club that values stability and identity.
The Role of the Supporter
We all want trophies. That hunger is natural, especially after seeing this team fall just short of the Premier League title in recent seasons. But wanting silverware shouldn’t turn into entitlement. No club, no matter how well run, is guaranteed constant success. The question is how we carry ourselves as fans during the highs and the lows.
Support doesn’t mean blind faith. Criticism is part of football, and it should be. But there’s a difference between fair critique and the constant cycle of outrage that poisons the atmosphere around the team. Players and managers aren’t robots. They feel the weight of that environment. The choice we have is whether we add to the pressure or create space for them to perform.
Arteta’s Leadership
Arteta isn’t perfect. No manager is. He’ll make calls that don’t always pay off, whether it’s trusting a young player in a big moment, rotating in a crucial match, or sticking with a tactical shape that doesn’t quite click. But the idea that every misstep proves he’s failing misses the bigger picture.
This is a manager who has rebuilt Arsenal from the ground up. From culture in the dressing room to standards on the training pitch, he has delivered clarity. He has shown resilience in the face of doubt, and he has developed players into the kind of professionals we once worried we couldn’t attract. Those qualities matter as much as any single result.
Why Positivity Matters
When Arsenal lifted the FA Cup under Wenger, it mattered to me every time. When Arsenal now challenge for the title and go deep into Europe under Arteta, it matters just as much. Success should never be taken for granted, because it doesn’t last forever.
That’s why I choose to focus on the positives. This doesn’t mean ignoring shortcomings or pretending problems don’t exist. It means recognizing progress, celebrating the growth of the team, and putting setbacks into context. It means remembering that the story of Arsenal is bigger than one match, one season, or one manager.
Looking Ahead
Arsenal is once again a force. We have one of the youngest, most talented squads in Europe. We’re competing at the top, and we’re playing football that reflects the values of the club. The foundation is strong.
So what can we, as supporters, do? We can argue less and back the team more. We can stop feeding outrage machines that profit from negativity. We can remember that criticism has weight, and constant vitriol doesn’t help. We can choose to support in a way that reflects pride in being part of Arsenal, rather than treating the club as a product that owes us endless satisfaction.
Closing
Back in 2017, Arsenal were drifting and the fanbase was fractured. In 2025, Arsenal are thriving under Arteta, yet the divisions have reappeared. The lesson is simple: the atmosphere around the club is shaped by us as much as by results.
I’ll always choose to be positive, because supporting Arsenal should be about joy, pride, and belonging. We’ve been given a team worth believing in again. Let’s act like it.
