Ian Wright now claims there’s a PL anthem that he prefers to You’ll Never Walk Alone

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Ian Wright has claimed that there’s a Premier League anthem that has now dethroned Liverpool’s You’ll Never Walk Alone.

YNWA is one of the most iconic football songs in world football. An anthem that transcends the sport and unites Reds fans, it even has the power to bring rivals together in times of mutual grief.

But according to Wright, Arsenal’s ‘North London Forever’ has now surpassed it. He claims that the Gunners’ great season on the pitch has led to their Emirates Stadium becoming a cauldron of noise and atmosphere.

“It’s been a concerted effort by the whole club; more noise, more singing, more vociferous support,” Wright said in conversation with Alan Shearer for The Athletic. “Then there’s the North London Forever song, which is played before kick-off. It’s better than You’ll Never Walk Alone.”

In fairness to Wright, Shearer does comment that the former Arsenal man ‘smiles at his own audacity’ to suggest this. Each to their own, but we’re not having that, sorry Wrighty!

Arsenal’s season of reinvention

We’re not going to lie, we hadn’t heard North London Forever before. It’s actually catchy, rousing and very heartfelt. We’re all for that. But it isn’t YNWA.

There’s a reason the song is used by multiple teams across the world. It isn’t just a Liverpool thing, this is a piece of music that stirs emotion all over the globe.

By its very nature, Arsenal’s counterpart doesn’t have that universal appeal. It never will.

Nevertheless, you do have to applaud the way the Gunners are attempting to slightly reinvent their football club. When you think of hostile atmospheres in the Premier League, the Emirates would perhaps even be right down at the bottom of the list.

But as their team become competitive once again, the fans are buying into a changing of identity. We’ve all felt a disconnect set in with our football clubs, and to rediscover that en masse is a special thing.

Songs and chants are all part of that shift, but no matter how loud or how proud they sing, they’ll never match YNWA for sheer emotion.

Arguably, nothing ever will.