CULTURE

Footer Column 2

Footer Legal

Footer Main

Nav Bar

OTHER

SPORTS

Subscribe, at any level, to play

Thanks for your interest in Defector Crosswords!

Become a subscriber today to get unlimited access

Thanks for reading!

Plans start at $8/month.

Subscribers enjoy unlimited, ad-free browsing.

Register to continue

Or click here to subscribe for unlimited, ad-free access!

Our gift to you: This year's post is unlocked. Register your email to get even more free articles.

Welcome to the 2025 Hater's Guide!

Just register your email:

This blog is free to read.

This is Defector, a new sports blog and media company. We made this place together, we own it together, we run it together. Without access, without favor, without discretion, and without interference.

Defector

Luis Paez-Pumar

Gabriel of Arsenal looks dejected after missing the team's fifth penalty in the penalty shoot out, as players of Paris Saint-Germain celebrate victory in the UEFA Champions League Final 2026 match between Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal FC at Puskas Arena on May 30, 2026 in Budapest, Hungary.

Soccer

Well, That Stunk

Patrick Redford

LONDON COLNEY, ENGLAND - MAY 19: (L-R) William Saliba and Riccardo celebrate Arsenal winning the Premier League after watching AFC Bournemouth v Manchester City at Sobha Realty Training Centre on May 19, 2026 in London Colney, England. (Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

Winning Justifies Itself

Bukayo Saka of Arsenal celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Semi Final Second Leg match between Arsenal FC and Atletico de Madrid at Arsenal Stadium on May 05, 2026 in London, England.

Arsenal Can Almost Taste The Glory

Erling Haaland of Manchester City celebrates scoring his team's second goal during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Arsenal at Etihad Stadium on April 19, 2026 in Manchester, England.

Manchester City Helpfully Extends Arsenal’s Freefall

Marc Guehi of Manchester City celebrates scoring his team's second goal with Antoine Semenyo during the Premier League match between Chelsea and Manchester City at Stamford Bridge on April 12, 2026 in London, England.

It’s Clear To Me Now That Manchester City Must Topple Arsenal

A general view of the UEFA Champions League trophy ahead of the UEFA Champions League, league phase match at Stamford Bridge, London. Picture date: Tuesday November 25, 2025.

No One Is Safe In The Champions League Quarterfinals

Max Dowman celebrates scoring Arsenal's second goal during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Everton at Emirates Stadium on March 14, 2026 in London, United Kingdom.

Teenager Max Dowman Gave Arsenal A Major Coolness Boost

Billy Haisley

Players of Arsenal look dejected after conceding a second goal during the Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Arsenal at Molineux on February 18, 2026 in Wolverhampton, England.

Ohhhhhhhh, Arsenal

Arsenal players form a huddle prior to the Premier League match between Arsenal and Wolverhampton Wanderers at Emirates Stadium on December 13, 2025 in London, England.

Arsenal Is Heading For A Title That Only A Gooner Could Love

Tom Ley

Zohran Mamdani holding up a photo of Ian Wright

This Is So Stupid

Can Zohran Mamdani Keep New Yorkers Safe From Remembering Some Arsenal Guys?

Brian Brobbey of Sunderland AFC scores a late equalizing goal for Sunderland during the Premier League match between Sunderland and Arsenal at the Stadium Of Light in Sunderland, England, on November 8, 2025.

Sunderland Doesn’t Need To Die To Get To Heaven

Viktor Gyokeres of Arsenal celebrates with teammates after scoring their side's fourth goal during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD3 match between Arsenal FC and Atletico de Madrid at Arsenal Stadium on October 21, 2025 in London, England.

Arsenal Shows No Mercy

Arsenal's Stina Blackstenius (second right) celebrates scoring their side's first goal of the game with team-mates during the UEFA Women's Champions League final at Estadio Jose Alvalade, in Lisbon, Portugal.

Arsenal Met The Moment And Became Champions

Paris Saint-Germain's French forward #10 Ousmane Dembele celebrates after scoring his team first goal during the UEFA Champions League Semi-final First Leg football match between Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) at the Emirates Stadium in north London, on April 29, 2025.

All PSG Needed Was A Half-Chance

Gabriel Martinelli of Arsenal celebrates scoring his team's second goal with teammate Declan Rice during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Quarter Final Second Leg match between Real Madrid C.F. and Arsenal FC at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on April 16, 2025 in Madrid, Spain.

Arsenal Was Perfect When It Had To Be

Mikel Merino of Arsenal celebrates after scoring a goal to make it 3-0 during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Quarter Final First Leg match between Arsenal FC and Real Madrid C.F. at Arsenal Stadium on April 8, 2025 in London, England.

Arsenal Stepped On Real Madrid’s Neck

Arsenal striker Alessia Russo celebrates during the UEFA Women's Champions League Quarter Finals Second Leg match between Arsenal FC and Real Madrid CF on March 26, 2025 in London, England.