Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal side finished as Premier League runners-up for the second season in a row (Picture: Getty)
Bayer Leverkusen appeared to aim a subtle dig at Arsenal, just moments after the Gunners missed out on the Premier League title.
Manchester City’s 3-1 win over West Ham sealed and unprecedented fourth triumph in a row for Pep Guardiola’s men and rendered Arsenal’s 2-1 victory over Everton irrelevant.
Bayer, meanwhile, secured their first ever Bundesliga title earlier this month following an historic campaign which saw them go undefeated and knock Bayern Munich off their perch.
The signing of former Arsenal skipper Granit Xhaka in the summer proved to be among the most important decisions taken by Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso.
And, in a pointed message on X, Leverkusen posted an image of Xhaka moments after Arsenal’s fate was confirmed, accompanied by the caption ‘What a feeling’.
Despite a near flawless second half of the campaign, Arsenal will have to wait until next season to collect the silverware their football and progress under Mikel Arteta has largely merited.
Addressing Arsenal fans from the pitch after Sunday’s narrow win over another of his former clubs Everton, Arteta said: ‘All this is happening because you started believing, you started to be patient and started to understand what we tried to do. All the credit has to go to the players and the staff,’ he said.
‘Don’t be satisfied. We want much more than that and we’re going to get it.’
Those sentiments were echoed by current Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard, who capped a fine individual season with two more assists against the Toffees.
He said: ‘I think we’re all a little bit disappointed. We’ve been fighting so long for the big dream. We were so close. I’m so proud of the boys, so proud of the team the fans. I’m so proud of the progress we are making.
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‘We’ve changed the club and I think you all believe in us now.’
‘Just so frustrating, when you see them all (supporters) here, it’s tough,’ added Kai Havertz, who scored the controversial late winner.
‘But I can tell them next year we are going to be even better team, and we are going to give everything next year again.’
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