The historic Arsenal F.C. Premier League title victory has continued to generate reactions online, with Nigerian cleric Dolapo Lawal publicly apologizing to Arsenal supporters after previously claiming the club was cursed and would never win the league title.
Pastor Dolapo Lawal, founder of Zoe Household Global, came under heavy criticism weeks ago after a sermon clip surfaced online in which he insisted Arsenal could not win the English Premier League despite their strong form during the season.
Following Arsenal’s dramatic title triumph on Tuesday, the cleric released a public apology in a now-viral video circulating across social media platforms.
In the video, Pastor Dolapo congratulated Arsenal fans and announced a special thanksgiving service for supporters of the North London club across all branches of his church.
Arsenal fans, special thanksgiving for you in Zoe Household on Sunday. Come with your jersey. This is my public apology and special thanksgiving service across all Zoe Household campuses. Praise God. Congrats, he said.
The apology quickly sparked reactions online, with many football fans mocking the pastor’s earlier prediction while others praised him for openly admitting he was wrong after Arsenal ended their 22-year wait for the Premier League title.
A month earlier, Pastor Dolapo had confidently told members of his congregation that Arsenal were incapable of winning the title race, even if they held a massive points advantage.
During the sermon, he controversially described the club as “cursed” and jokingly warned ladies against dating Arsenal supporters.
Arsenal cannot win. Didn’t I say it? I said it three months ago that even if the gap is 29 points, Arsenal cannot win, he said during the viral sermon.
And peradventure if you are here as a lady, if an Arsenal fan should ask you out, it’s a bad sign. You need to check yourself.
The remarks generated widespread reactions on Nigerian social media, especially among Arsenal fans who accused the cleric of mocking the club during a tense title race.
Arsenal F.C. finally secured the Premier League trophy after years of near misses, handing manager Mikel Arteta his first league title as coach.
The triumph also marked Arsenal’s first EPL title since the famous “Invincibles” season under legendary former manager Arsène Wenger.
The victory sparked celebrations across the world, with football figures, politicians and celebrities reacting to Arsenal’s long-awaited success.
Following the apology video, social media users flooded comment sections with mixed reactions, with many Arsenal supporters describing the moment as humorous payback after enduring criticism throughout the season.
Others applauded the cleric for taking responsibility for his comments and congratulating fans publicly instead of ignoring the situation.
The video has continued trending online as Arsenal fans celebrate one of the club’s most memorable achievements in recent history.
