Mikel Obi overwhelmed by flood of messages after Arsenal's Premier League victory

Former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel revealed that his phone was inundated with messages from Arsenal F.C. fans after the Gunners secured the Premier League title, a development that prompted a mixed reaction from the Chelsea supporter.

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Mikel's initial instinct was to withhold congratulations from one of Chelsea's biggest rivals, as he questioned the logic of praising a team that has historically been at odds with his beloved club.

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He recalled the overwhelming response from Arsenal fans, stating "I woke up to my phone blowing up, the messages, unbelievable, from Arsenal fans," which only added to his reluctance to offer praise.

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Mikel's loyalty to Chelsea was evident in his statement "Why will I congratulate Arsenal for winning the Premier League, I, a Chelsea fan, no way would we congratulate Arsenal for winning the Premier League," highlighting the intense rivalry between the two teams.

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However, Mikel ultimately acknowledged that Arsenal's achievement warranted recognition, emphasizing the importance of sportsmanship and graciousness in the face of defeat.

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He conceded that the Gunners deserved credit for their Premier League win, saying "But I have to say it though: they won the Premier League, they deserve it, fair play," and encouraged fans to adopt a similar mindset.

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Mikel advocated for a more magnanimous approach, suggesting that fans should not be "bitter losers" and instead focus on moving forward, as evidenced by his statement "If someone has beaten you, you shake hands, and you move on."

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The former Super Eagles captain took a pragmatic view of Arsenal's title win, asserting that the manner in which they achieved it was immaterial, and that the outcome was all that mattered.

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Mikel expressed this sentiment by saying "For me, that’s the case, it does not matter how they won it, does not matter whether they played well, whether they crawled to the final line, whichever way, they did it," and advised fans to accept the result and move on.

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Mikel's own illustrious career at Chelsea spanned over a decade, during which he won numerous major honours, including two Premier League titles and the prestigious UEFA Champions League.