Arsenal's triumphant players were spotted partying until daylight as they basked in the glory of the club's first Premier League title since 2004. The Gunners' place in history was secured on a dramatic Tuesday night of action after Manchester City were held to a 1-1 draw by Bournemouth. That result meant that Mikel Arteta's side are four points clear of their title rivals with just one match to go, and players and fans made sure to make the most of their achievement after it was confirmed.
Celebrations Begin at Training Ground
The squad had watched City's game at their London Colney training ground, and footage circulated of them celebrating shortly after full-time. From there, the players appeared to go elsewhere for a private party. One photo on Eberechi Eze's Instagram showed captain Martin Odegaard drinking from an infamous Arsenal bottle, a form of mockery from one viral Manchester City fan just a few weeks ago. That supporter was the subject of his own teasing, as Gabriel shared a photo of him drinking from the bottle and also looking rather glum at a later game, with the caption: 'Think too much.'
Stars Spotted Outside Emirates at 5am
After those festivities were done, a select group of stars then headed over to the Emirates, where thousands of jubilant fans had gathered to celebrate the triumph. Many of those had headed home by this point, but one video showed Jurrien Timber, Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice and Eze walking around the outskirts of the stadium with the sun rising in the background. The video was captioned: 'I CAN'T BELIEVE I BUMPED INTO THE CHAMPIONS AT 5AM.' In another clip, Rice, whose voice was croaking, urged several fans to come and join him for a photo on his phone before he started a chant of 'Arsenal, Arsenal, Arsenal'.
Mocking Critics
Eze then posted a celebratory selfie on his Instagram story at around 5.20am where he had his finger to his lips, in a seeming dig to Arsenal's critics over recent months. He then shared some snaps of himself posing with Rice, Timber and Saka outside the Emirates along with one shot of the bottle. Former Arsenal star Jorginho, who now plays for Flamengo, also posted a photo on social media of himself on Facetime with Saka and Timber, and added the caption: 'So happy for you guys.'
Fans' Wild Celebrations
That came after the thousands gathered outside the Emirates had earlier set off fireworks, red flares, waved flags and chanted. Their legendary forward Ian Wright was among those at the centre of the celebrations outside the stadium. Before that, supporters had flocked to Arsenal's pre-match pubs, including the Drayton Park Arms, the World's End in Finsbury Park, and the Tollington just minutes away from their stadium. Emotional Gunners fans popped champagne, hugged one another and climbed onto tables at the pubs exploded moments after their victory. Drivers honked their horns in the capital while fans waved shirts from windows and rooftops as Arsenal ended their title drought. Some fans even blocked traffic as they partied in the streets, with the wild celebrations continuing long into the night.
What's Next for Arsenal?
More glory could follow next week as they travel to Budapest for the Champions League final, in a bid to stop Paris Saint-Germain from winning their second European Cup in succession. Arsenal will pick up the Premier League trophy after Sunday's final game away at Crystal Palace, with tickets now gold dust for their most loyal fans. Arteta and his team have endured mockery over their 'second again' position as the Premier League's bridesmaids, but that will now end with their first major trophy since the FA Cup won in his first season in charge in 2020. The last time the club won the Premier League was in 2004, when Thierry Henry and Co went unbeaten through the entire 38-game season.
