"Certified student of the game" - Arsenal fans react as NYC Mayor-elect namedrops several ex-Gunners when asked about his football knowledge

Arsenal fans have reacted to Zohran Mamdani naming some of their former players in a recent interview. He name-dropped the likes of Marouane Chamakh and Pascal Cygan as the players he often thinks about.

Mamdani was elected as New York City's new mayor on November 4 this year and will take office in January 2026. He is the first Muslim and Indian origin mayor of New York City. He is also a well-known Arsenal supporter and has often expressed his admiration for the club.

In a recent appearance on The Adam Friendland Show, Mamdani mentioned some of the former Gunners players, saying:

"When I wake up every morning, I think of Sébastien Squillaci, Pascal Cygan, and Marouane Chamakh."

Fans online were surprised and pleased to see him name these players and reacted to an Instagram post from mwnsport about it. One user wrote:

"Certified Student of the game💯"

Fans react to Zohran Mamdani's comment (Image Source: Instagram/@mwnsport)

Some other users wrote:

"Me too Zohran, me too"

"Just when I thought I couldn’t love this guy any more"

"Only cool ppl love ARSENAL"

Some even joked about it, commenting:

"Even chamakh doesn’t think of himself 😂"

"Washed ball knowledge"

Fans on Zohran Mamdani's comments (Image Source: Instagram/@mwnsport)

Chamakh, meanwhile, was with the Gunners for three years from 2010 to 2013 and recorded 14 goals and eight assists in 67 appearances. Squillaci made 39 senior appearances for the north London side, while Pascal Cygan made 98 and also won one Premier League title.

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Arsenal legend congratulates Zohran Mamdani on his NYC mayoral election win

In the interview with Adam Friedland, Zohran Mamdani also received a video message from Arsenal legend Ian Wright. The host gave the NYC mayor-elect a phone, with Wright on the screen, saying:

“Hi Zohran, how are you doing? Ian Wright here. I just want to say a massive, massive congratulations on what you’ve achieved. The real work, though, starts now. But, God willing, you can achieve everything that you have set out to achieve.”

Mamdani said to the former England striker:

"I love you"

He also quoted an X (formerly Twitter) post from Adam Friedland about this interaction and wrote:

"Yes, I almost teared up over Arsenal"

Zohran Kwame Mamdani

@ZohranKMamdani

Yes, I almost teared up over Arsenal

Wright joined the Gunners from Crystal Palace in 1991 and spent seven years at the club. He's their second all-time top scorer with 185 goals and 31 assists in 288 games, winning one Premier League title, among other honors.