NAIROBI, Kenya — Online football fans have resurfaced a past video of President William Ruto declaring “Arsenal is back” after the North London club’s elimination from the FA Cup triggered renewed trolling on social media.
Arsenal F.C. suffered a 2–1 defeat to Championship side Southampton F.C. on Saturday, crashing out of a second domestic cup competition within two weeks.
The result ended the Gunners’ hopes of a quadruple and intensified online criticism of manager Mikel Arteta.
The defeat prompted netizens to circulate a viral clip from October 2025, when Ruto spoke during the FIFA World Cup trophy tour at State House and expressed confidence in Arsenal’s return to glory.
“As many of you know, I am a proud Arsenal fan. It is true the last two decades have not been easy for us, with heartbreaks and near misses, but if you have been watching us lately, you know it’s all coming alive. So to all our English Premier League and European rivals, watch out: Arsenal is back,” Ruto said in the video.
With the FA Cup exit, Arsenal’s pursuit of four trophies has now narrowed to two competitions.
The club remains in the UEFA Champions League, where they have reached the semi-finals, and the Premier League title race, where they hold a seven-point lead over defending champions Manchester City F.C.
The online reaction has focused on Arsenal’s recent setbacks and the pressure mounting on Arteta to deliver silverware.
Critics have revived long-standing claims about the club “bottling” key moments, especially with the title run-in entering a decisive phase.
Arsenal are chasing their first major trophy since winning the FA Cup in 2020, with the remaining competitions now seen as critical to validating their strong domestic campaign.
