02/06/26 – Premier League Champions! “The Arsenal Canon Fires Again!!”

For the first time in 22 years Arsenal are Premier League Champions! It’s been two weeks since Junior Kroupi smashed one into Man City’s net to take points of Arsenal’s only title rivals. We waited and waited and we won it on the sofa. This has taken me a while to process I wasn’t prepared for Bournemouth to do it, I have dreamed of this since I was 5 years old. I started going to Arsenal in 2009 and then consistently as a season ticket holder in 2012. I have watched some absolutely shocking football, I remember crying when we lost 3-0 to West Brom at the Emirates. How far we have come since then! The last three years started to give me belief that we would again be champions of England and each season that has past has led to that dream becoming a reality. What I have experienced over the last fortnight hasn’t really registered in my mind, the outpouring of love and support from all Arsenal fans has been unbelievable. From the thousands of people that met at the ground after the Bournemouth game to the hundreds of thousands of people celebrating in North London for the Crystal Palace game to the millions of people, we saw at the parade this past Sunday. It has been insane.

(I’m going to do a separate blog for my time travelling to Vienna and Budapest for the Champions League final as it deserves its moment in the spotlight).

The reason I started this blog was to capture the potentially pivotal moments in a season that could be sparkling with silver trophies. I started this blog in November when Arsenal were playing some of the best football, I’ve ever seen us play, this season something felt different, my belief was through the roof. And as I have documented since then we have been on a rollercoaster that at times I felt was going to crash down to earth with nothing to show for it. The period from the draw at Forrest in late January up to the Carabao Cup final defeat in April felt like we were treading water praying to stay afloat. It was the moment when City went top where I truly felt we had bottled it again, with all the chat from the media we were fuelling the fire they had started. But this team has showed yet again that is made of special stuff, all the way from the owners to the players, they did not give up and the four wins on the bounce after the defeat to City at the Etihad: Newcastle, Fulham, West Ham and Burnley got us that elusive Premier League trophy. I was 1 when the Invincibles were crowned and I have waited patiently since then to experience this feeling with all the people I have met along the way. Dad and I have experienced everything Arsenal has to offer together, from players getting booed off to King Henry returning with a trademark goal against Leeds, FA Cup final wins, but this season tops them all, to see the joy that Arsenal has brought not just to Dad and I but to millions of people around the world has been one of the most magical things I’ve experienced while being a fan of this club. This season has been the most special I’ve watched and has produced a connection between the club and the fans that at one stage in 2019 never seemed possible. I think every Arsenal fan can agree that the journey we have been on with Mikel Arteta has been nothing short of spectacular. Of course we've had bad moments but Arteta hasn’t just bought home the Premier League trophy, he has inspired the staff and fanbase that we must win it together, I’ve never felt more involved in the success of the team simply from being in my seat at the Emirates, but there is something extremely special about seeing this team respond to the fans and being pushed to be the best versions of themselves. The displays of support when the team bus arrived for the Athletico Madrid Semi-final and the last home game against Burnley was unmatched.

When I went up to the Horatia pub in North London for the Palace game the happiness I was surrounded by eclipses anything I have seen at Arsenal before, as I walked up the Hollaway Road there were women and their young children both in Arsenal shirts, flags draped out of windows, shop owners singing chants from the front of their stores, horns blaring from passing cars. I have never witnessed the Arsenal community as I did that day. When the trophy was lifted and the commentator stated that “the Arsenal canon fires again” I made my way round to the Emirates and what I saw there was like a dream. People on their balconies, people on the roofs of shops and houses, red flares covering hundreds of thousands of fans, it was absolutely unbelievable, unlike anything I have ever experienced before. This season has really been a test, I thought at points that I couldn't bare it if we didn't do it this year, but it also produced some of the most special memories and the end result is one that we all truly deserve. Thank you Arsenal, we are again finally the 2025/26 Premier League Champions!! It all worked out.

The next blog will be a review of the Champions League Final with player ratings for the season anda wrap up from me for the 2025/26 season. Thanks for all the support and COYG!

The Northbank Blogger.