Arsenal were crowned Premier League champions for the first time in 22 years on Tuesday night, with celebrations lasting well into the early hours
Arsenal players celebrated well into the early hours during their Premier League title festivities, with Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice and numerous team-mates seen arriving at the Emirates Stadium at 5am. The Gunners secured the title for the first time in 22 years after Manchester City’s 1-1 stalemate at Bournemouth on Tuesday night.
The squad initially assembled at the training ground, where players, Mikel Arteta and staff watched City’s match together. Arsenal’s 1-0 triumph over Burnley on Monday meant Pep Guardiola’s team required maximum points on the south coast to extend the title race to the final day, but they fell short.
Festivities began at Colney, while thousands of supporters made their way to the Emirates, where they were accompanied by club legend Ian Wright. Rice offered a glimpse of the celebrations, posting a photograph with his teammates on Instagram with the caption: “I told you all. It’s done,” followed by a trophy and love heart emojis.
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Meanwhile, Saka and Myles LewisâSkelly responded to critics who suggested Arsenal would ‘bottle’ the title. LewisâSkelly, clutching a champagne bottle, said: “They called us bottlers and now we’re holding the bottle.”
Saka replied: “Now we’re holding the bottles. Yeah!”
Last month, following Arsenal’s 2-1 home loss to Bournemouth, a City supporter gained widespread attention for displaying a water bottle bearing Arsenal’s logo while miming drinking from it – an obvious jibe implying the Gunners would ‘bottle’ the championship.
The footage accumulated over 700,000 views on X within an hour, intensifying the pressure surrounding Arsenal’s title challenge.
A fan then captured several squad members arriving including Saka, Rice, Jurrien Timber and Eberechi Eze at the Emirates Stadium in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
“Don’t play with them, man,” the fan said. “That’s the champions right now, we’re live with the champions right now.”
Eze posted an image of the four players to his Instagram account, with the caption: “God alone decides. 22 years? Hold that.”
Eze also posting an image of himself placing a finger against his lips outside the stadium – an unmistakable ‘shush’ directed towards the doubters.
After conceding the title battle, Guardiola extended his congratulations to his former assistant Arteta. “Congratulations to Mikel, congratulations to Arsenal, they have been phenomenal,” he said.
“We were close. On behalf of everyone at Manchester City, we congratulate Mikel and all the staff, players and fans on winning the Premier League. They deserve it.”
This marks an emotional departure for Guardiola, with the City manager set to exit the Etihad following a decade at the helm after Sunday’s final home fixture against Aston Villa.
Arsenal will lift the Premier League trophy this Sunday when they make the short journey to Selhurst Park for their final-day encounter with Crystal Palace.
