The streets of Holloway, normally busy with shoppers, fell quiet on Saturday afternoon before loud roars echoed through the north London high street as Arsenal walked out for the Champions League final in Budapest. With the team already crowned Premier League winners for the first time in 22 years, supporters gathered in pubs near the Emirates Stadium, where the Argos sign had been altered to read “Ar-senal”.
Among those outside the packed Victoria Tavern were Lucy, 37, and Gregory, 48, who had travelled from Paris. “The mood is amazing,” said Lucy, a Gooner for 30 years. She cited the club’s French pedigree, including Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira, as her reason for connecting with the team. Gregory was cautious: “PSG is a good team.” Lucy remained philosophical: “I will be happy either way but more happy if we win the Champions League.”
Issac, 42, had come from Ghana to celebrate on home turf. Describing Arsenal’s Premier League triumph as “the best thing ever”, he said he would be disappointed by a final loss but added: “We’ve got a Premier League win which is more important to me.” In Angel Islington, 25-year-old Jack Devonport summed up the mood as “a mix of nervous and excited”. He had watched every league game this season with his dad. “To relive what he had when he was younger with his son is amazing,” he said.
On the pitch, Kai Havertz fired Arsenal into a sixth-minute lead, but Ousmane Dembélé’s second-half penalty forced extra time and a shootout. Eberechi Eze and Gabriel Magalhães missed as PSG triumphed 4-3 on penalties to retain the trophy. Despite the loss, many fans echoed Lucy’s earlier sentiment: the Premier League crown had already made the season a success.
