As the race for the Premier League title heats up, Manchester City were able to put pressure on Arsenal with a win over Chelsea this weekend. That came after the Gunners lost at home to Bournemouth, meaning the gap at the top has closed to just six points between the two.
Adding to the drama, Man City will host Mikel Arteta's side at the Etihad in their next game, with the chance to move within just three points of the league leaders – and with a game in hand (to come against Crystal Palace.
As Arsenal have finished second in each of the past three seasons, with Man City winning the league on two of those occasions, there will be a familiar sense of dread for some fans in north London amid the recent change in form for each club. This appears to be sparking a contrasting expectation of inevitability for those in Manchester.
Man City Fan Goes Viral At Chelsea With Arsenal Bottle
Playing into the mood at Man City, one fan was spotted in the crowd at Stamford Bridge – as his team cruised to a 3-0 victory – drinking from an Arsenal-branded bottle, as if to suggest they were going to lose their nerve in the title race.
The moment quickly went viral, sparking a huge reaction on the internet. Piers Morgan, an avid Arsenal supporter, angrily wrote online: "You going to take this mockery, @Arsenal? Or are you going to stand up, show some bottle, and fight for this Title like it means more than life or death?"
That said, there were some online who claimed the incident was set up by Sky Sports, with the sole purpose of going viral. Indeed, they wondered how a Man City fan would even have an Arsenal-branded bottle at a Chelsea game, but the truth has now emerged.
MixCollage-25-Mar-2025-09-48-AM-7183 Related
Supercomputer Predicts 2025-26 Premier League Table in Full
The Premier League table could look very different in some key areas by the time May rolls around.
Tal Rehman Reveals How He Got Arsenal Bottle
The Man City fan in question, Tal Rehman, has now spoken out for the first time, explaining how he got his hands on the infamous bottle. He revealed to Sky Sports that it was actually given to him by Arsenal staff when they came to play at the Etihad last season:
"This time last year when we played Arsenal at the Etihad we sit close to the Arsenal bench and we asked for a drink because it was something we needed and obviously they passed us these bottles and I never thought of it.
"We bought the bottles home and just because I like being a prankster or a joker or whatever because that’s what I am really, I’m not serious about anything in life."
Rehman then explained that he took the bottle with him up to London for the Chelsea game, hoping to joke about with any Arsenal fans he met on the day:
"So the bottle, I thought I’ll take it to London. If we see anybody at Euston or any of the Gooners in north London, I’ll just show it to them. ‘Have you got your bottle, son?’
"The next thing is I’m at the stadium and then I realise I had it in the bag. And when we went 3-0 up I thought showtime baby. So out comes the bottle and there I am [on TV] unknown to me, and I'm gobsmacked."
Rehman explained that it was just a bit of light-hearted fun, and he was shocked by the huge immediate reaction of the moment, concluding: "It’s just banter, people must understand that I’m not a tribal fan, I’m a football fan.
"I respect the game, I respect the fans, respect the rules, everything. So me and my son, I’ll just hold the bottle to my gob pretending to drink it. Next thing people are tapping me on the shoulder and saying I’ve gone viral, and I’m a meme.
"I was in shock. After that I can’t tell you my phone was like ping, ping."