Arsenal and West Ham appear to have stolen each other’s chants and one is particularly annoying so supporters should brace themselves.
Copying another team’s chant – especially if it is particularly original – is frowned upon among football fans.
Yet it still happens quite regularly and now West Ham and Arsenal are guilty of it.
It’s not enough that Arsenal took Declan Rice from West Ham, now the Gunners have taken one of the club’s main chants too.
The Hammers sold captain Rice to Arsenal last summer in a £105m deal.
Before leaving for the Emirates, Rice helped West Ham win their first trophy in 43 years.
At the celebration parade in east London afterwards, Rice addressed the hordes of fans gathered and, with what would be some of his last words to them, said: “We’re f’ing massive ain’t we.”
That was a nod to the club’s chant ‘West Ham are massive, everywhere we go’.
Well West Ham fans the chant has now been used by Arsenal.
Arsenal and West Ham steal each other’s chants
In fact Arsenal and West Ham have stolen each other’s chants and one is particularly annoying.
Gunners supporters were heard chanting ‘Arsenal are massive, everywhere we go’ at the game against Villa over the weekend.
It did not go unnoticed by Hammers supporters, who have been ridiculing Arsenal on social media and fan groups for ‘copying’ their chant.
It’s not the first time Arsenal have nabbed a catchy West Ham terrace song.
When Dimitri Payet was ripping up the Premier League with the Hammers a few years ago, West Ham fans started their ‘We’ve got Payet’ song to the tune of Achy Breaky Heart.
A couple of months later, Arsenal started using the chant about Mesut Ozil. Much to the derision of the West Ham faithful.
It remains to be seen whether ‘Arsenal are massive’ catches on in the same way as the West Ham equivalent has in east London.
Hammers fans should not get on their high horses just yet, though.
Because West Ham supporters who packed out the away end at Selhurst Park to watch the first win of the Julen Lopetegui era have stolen a chant that’s become synonymous with Arsenal.
Video footage has emerged from the win over Palace which shows supporters nabbing the William Saliba chant for new West Ham signing Jean-Clair Todibo.
Hammers chant lifted from Gunners is particularly annoying
Saliba’s fellow French centre-back Todibo is one of the top signings of the summer window.
West Ham beat off the likes of Juventus to capture the former Barca man.
Man United wanted to sign him too but were blocked from doing so by UEFA.
As West Ham’s players, including Todibo, went over to applaud and thank the fans at Selhurst, they responded by serenading a number of them.
And Arsenal’s Saliba chant – to the tune of Tequila – was adapted for Todibo.
Ironically the West Ham and Arsenal stars could form France’s central defensive partnership in the coming years.
West Ham fans should brace themselves, though. Because the Saliba chant has been one of the most annoying around.
The mimicking of the musical element of the Tequila song with the repetition of ‘derduddud derdudduddudder’ has had football fans watching Arsenal games on TV reaching for the mute button on the remote.
Now West Ham fans have used it for Todibo.
It remains to be seen whether it will catch on. Although Hammers supporters may well give it short shrift.
All ears will now be tuned to upcoming Arsenal and West Ham games to see whether supporters continue to use the chants of their London rivals.
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