Arsenal were crowned champions for the first time since 2004 after Manchester City’s 1-1 draw, with Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice and teammates spotted arriving at the Emirates Stadium at 5am
Arsenal stars celebrated well into the early hours during their Premier League title festivities, with Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice and numerous colleagues seen turning up at the Emirates Stadium at 5am.
The Gunners secured their first championship in 22 years after Manchester City’s 1-1 stalemate at Bournemouth on Tuesday night. The squad originally assembled at the training ground, where players, Mikel Arteta and staff viewed City’s match together.
Arsenal’s 1-0 victory 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 failed to deliver.
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Festivities began at Colney, while thousands of fans made their way to the Emirates, where they were met by club icon Ian Wright.
Rice offered a glimpse of the revelries, posting a photograph with his colleagues on Instagram with the message: “I told you all.. it’s done,” accompanied by trophy and love heart emojis.
Meanwhile, Saka and Myles Lewis‐Skelly aimed a barb at critics who suggested Arsenal would ‘bottle’ the championship. Lewis‐Skelly, clutching a champagne bottle, declared: “They called us bottlers and now we’re holding the bottle,” reports the Mirror.
Saka responded: “Now we’re holding the bottles. Yeah!” Last month, following Arsenal’s 2-1 home loss to Bournemouth, a City supporter became an internet sensation for brandishing a water bottle bearing Arsenal’s logo and mimicking drinking from it – an obvious taunt implying the Gunners would ‘bottle’ the championship.
The footage amassed over 700,000 views on X in just one hour, intensifying the pressure surrounding Arsenal’s title bid.
Several squad members were subsequently captured on film arriving at the Emirates Stadium in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
One fan recorded the likes of Jurrien Timber, Saka, Rice and Eberechi Eze strolling outside the venue. “Don’t play with them, man,” the supporter declared.
“That’s the champions right now, we’re live with the champions right now.” Eze also posted a revealing image, pressing a finger to his lips outside the Emirates – an unmistakable ‘shush’ directed at the sceptics.
Having conceded 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.”
It signals a devastating goodbye for Guardiola, with the City manager set to depart the Etihad after a decade at the helm following Sunday’s final home fixture against Aston Villa.
Arsenal are poised to lift the Premier League trophy this Sunday when they make the brief journey to Selhurst Park for their final-day clash with Crystal Palace.