16 arrests as Arsenal Fans turn north London streets red
The team celebrated their Premier League title win with an open top bus parade.
Arsenal’s title parade attracted an extraordinary crowd of as many as one million people – as Mikel Arteta’s side put their European agony behind them to celebrate the club’s first Premier League win since 2004.
The Press Association has been told that early estimates have indicated that between 750,000 and one million euphoric Arsenal fans lined the 5.6-mile route, which started and finished at the Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners fell short of winning the first Champions League title after a crushing penalty shootout defeat to Paris St Germain at the Puskas Arena in Budapest on Saturday evening.
But 18 hours and 15 minutes after Gabriel’s missed penalty denied Arsenal a night of history, captain Martin Odegaard emerged with the Premier League trophy to a ferocious atmosphere outside the club’s ground.
Unprecedented scenes
Martin Odegaard was the first player to board one of three red buses – the others reserved for the players’ families and staff, and the women’s team celebrating the Champions Cup they won in February.
At 2.15pm, the parade got under way before winding its way through Islington across the next two hours in unprecedented scenes.
Some fans hung out of windows, on top of bus stops, others on roof terraces, as they attempted to catch a glimpse of their heroes with red smoke, from thousands of flares, polluting the north London sky.
Fans rescued from height
Though the celebrations did cause issues for some, with the London Fire Brigade saying 75 people needed to be rescued from height while they also had to attend a fire at a hotel believed to have been caused by a stray flare.
Finsbury Park – the nearest National Rail station to the route – had to be closed because of overcrowding due to the remarkable number of fans flocking to the event.
'Coming back for more'
On board the leading bus, Declan Rice rapped to ‘Ice Ice Baby’ – a song which has become synonymous with the England midfielder – before insisting that the Gunners are “coming back for more” next season.
He said: “I love this team, I love the manager. To see the joy we can give people, it’s crazy. But, next year we’re coming back for more. You heard it here first now. Lock in or get locked out.”
Ben White also took to the microphone to poke fun at team-mate Piero Hincapie by chanting for the defender to “get your bum out”. Hincapie attracted unwanted attention after his shorts temporarily fell off following a challenge during Arsenal’s 1-0 win against Burnley earlier this month.
A day after heartbreak
The wild celebrations came a day after their disappointment in Budapest – with the solemn Gunners departing their Hilton hotel in the Hungarian capital shortly before 9am on Sunday.
Kai Havertz had fired Arsenal into an early lead in the final, but PSG equalised through Ousmane Dembele’s penalty, and Eberechi Eze and Gabriel both missed in the shootout.
Gabriel admitted the defeat was “painful”, but added on Instagram: “I’m proud of this team and everything we achieved together this season.”
The Brazilian and Eze appeared in good spirits on the bus despite the agony of the night before, while Arteta smiled broadly as he waved to the crowds.
Co-owner Josh Kroenke, who prior to Saturday’s final described agreeing an extension to Arteta’s contract which expires next year as “an utmost priority”, joined in with fans as they chanted songs.
Myles Lewis-Skelly was not even born the last time Arsenal won the title in 2004.
The 19-year-old, who started the Champions League final, told Sky Sports: “It’s disappointing because when you’re so close to a dream, a goal, you feel slightly short but as Mikel said, it’s added fuel to the fire, so we’ll use that.
“For me, (the future) is bright. I feel like it’s the start of a new era and I feel like we’re ready to go and achieve our dreams.”
Asked for a message for the fans, Lewis-Skelly added: “Thank you, and we’re not done!”
16 arrests
The Metropolitan Police said 16 people had been arrested around the “parade footprint” as of 9pm, while the force said a crime scene had been set up after a stabbing on Hornsey Road around 8.30pm and a man was taken to hospital where his condition will be assessed.