Declan Rice was joined on the pitch by his girlfriend Lauren Fryer and their son Jude as the Arsenal star celebrated after lifting the Premier League trophy on the final day of the season. Arsenal had been confirmed as champions for the first time in 22 years last week, after title rivals Manchester City faltered by drawing with Bournemouth. The Gunners finally got their hands on the Premier League trophy at Selhurst Park, following their 2-1 win over Crystal Palace.
Family on the Pitch
Fryer was among the family members of Arsenal stars invited onto the pitch following the trophy presentation as Mikel Arteta's players toasted their long-awaited triumph, after three consecutive second-placed finishes. Rice and his childhood sweetheart Fryer posed for photos on the pitch with their son, as well as the England star's parents Sean and Stephanie. Fryer, 27, has previously been the target of cruel abusive chants from rival fans over her appearance, leading to calls for those responsible to be banned. Online abuse had led Fryer to wipe all posts from her Instagram page back in 2024.
Arteta's Emotional Reaction
Arteta's side celebrated in front of a packed Arsenal away end at Selhurst Park, with their owners the Kroenke family also seen lifting the trophy. 'It's an amazing feeling,' Arteta said. 'I've been trying to go through this moment a few times, but I could never expect it to be that big, to be that beautiful, and to see so much joy and pride amongst all the people and our supporters. I think sometimes you need to reflect on that, because everything has happened so fast and in such a special way as well. But I really want to enjoy this moment, at least today. Tomorrow we'll start to prepare for the final in Budapest, and I can't wait to write a new chapter in the history of our football club.'
Title Race and Champions League Final
Arteta's side eventually finished as champions on 85 points, six clear of their nearest rivals Manchester City. The gap had grown on the final day, after a much-changed Manchester City side were beaten 2-1 by Aston Villa in Pep Guardiola's final match in charge. Rice has been one of the central figures in Arsenal's Premier League triumph, which saw the midfielder shortlisted for the Player of the Season award. The 27-year-old ultimately missed out on the individual honour to Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes. Rice had featured in 36 of Arsenal's league matches during the campaign, but spent the duration of the final day of the season on the bench. It came as Arsenal began to switch their attentions to the Champions League final next weekend against Paris Saint-Germain. The Gunners will be hoping to win the competition for the first time in their history, but face the reigning champions in the showpiece in Budapest on May 30.
