And that, ladies and gentlemen, is that. The Premier League season is over, and Arsenal are champions of England.
The Gunners rounded off the campaign with a 2-1 win at Crystal Palace, courtesy of goals from Gabriel Jesus and Noni Madueke, taking Mikel Arteta’s side to 85 points for the season.
But the match itself felt secondary to the celebrations before and after full-time, as Martin Odegaard became the first Arsenal captain since Patrick Vieira in 2004 to lift the Premier League trophy.
Here’s what the managers, players, pundits and stattos made of the action…
Mikel Arteta on finally being crowned champions
It was beautiful. Look at the joy of all the people. They’ve been waiting for so long, they fully deserve it. We had some difficult moments along the way, but all of them, they are worth it when you see that kind of reaction. I think we showed an incredible connection, an incredible commitment and an incredible courage as well. Because everything that was around us has fuelled the desire that we have to go and do it.
Source: Sky Sports
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Martin Odegaard on lifting the trophy…
Honestly, I can’t describe it. It was emotional. Yeah, no, it was so special. A lot of emotions and a lot of hard work behind there. Yeah, so emotional, but a beautiful, beautiful day and an amazing achievement. You always have the doubt and the fear that you’re not going to make it, but we had that belief in ourselves, and even in the toughest situations, toughest moments this season, I think we really, really stuck together, and probably even more in those situations. So we had that belief, and we know we can, and we just kept on fighting, and we got there in the end, so even better like that.
Source: Sky Sports
Arteta on the ownership…
Everyone has played a part, obviously, and we have an incredible ownership. They’ve been through tough times, and that’s when you really see people, and when you really get to know people. And they have incredible values, they know sport better than any of us here, and they have committed themselves to a project that we have delivered.
Source: Sky Sports
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Gabriel on his partnership with William Saliba…
I think, now four years we play together, we work a lot every day. We know if we don’t concede the goals, we are close to winning the games. Like I say to him every day, we are so good together. We make this happen. We just need to enjoy this time now.
Source: premierleague.com
William Saliba on lifting the title…
Incroyable. Incredible. Today, we see how big the club is, the fans are here, they are all happy. We all deserve that. We’ve been so good this season, we’ve been so consistent, we deserve that today. We’re so happy.
Source: premierleague.com
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Oliver Glasner’s parting message to Arsenal and the Palace fans…
Congratulations to Arsenal for winning the league, you really deserved it. And now to all of you, after two years here I learned you should always agree with the chairman, but today I don’t. He said the best day position was the FA Cup win but I think the best day is still to come in Leipzig. The second thing I have to say, I had so many nice messages from you and I told the players before the game. In sport you can win and lose but I got so many messages where you said that the team gave us belief. When someone believes in you, that is the best feeling you can have. You gave us the belief that everything is possible. Two years and two months ago, I arrived and you probably didn’t know me. I came as a stranger but now I feel like a South Londoner. Thank you very much for this.
Source: cpfc.co.uk
Mikel Merino on the bond in the squad…
From everyone watching us on TV, you might see just another team. But when you see us up close, you see how this team behaves on a daily basis at the training ground. You see these guys are just a group of friends, family – that is what’s the most important thing in this club. We’re making a strong group, we’re making a team where if things go wrong, they stick together, they push through it, and this is what we’ve done this season to show that unity is what gave us the title.
Source: Arsenal.com
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David Raya speaking to Jens Lehmann about his journey to the top…
It feels amazing, you probably know this feeling, especially after the last few years, coming so close but so far at the same time. It’s just so worth it, what we’ve been through, what we’ve learned through this journey and celebrating with the players and staff and obviously the fans is amazing. You always dream, you have confidence in yourself, but it’s something that you don’t think that much when you’re that young, stuff like this, but you always dream to be here, to win, to play football at the highest level. So it’s a dream come true and looking back at those Southport days is amazing.
Source: premierleague.com
Jens Lehmann’s advice to David Raya ahead of the Champions League final…
Do us a favour and play 90 minutes or 95 96 minutes. Don’t get sent off. I can tell you honestly, we missed it 20 years ago and if you win it now, you’re giving something back to the fans, which we couldn’t. Maybe I didn’t deliver because I got sent off. So it would mean for us, it would mean something as well.
Source: premierleague.com
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Arteta on celebrating before turning attention to Budapest…
We need to [celebrate] because we need that energy to flow and going against that, I think it will be a big mistake. We’ve already talked about what we have to do in Budapest, how we’re going to use all the incredible energy that we’re all carrying towards that final and tomorrow we’re going to start to prepare for it. We can’t wait to write for the new chapter in the history of our club and win the Champions League.
Source: Post-game press conference
Kai Havertz on Arsenal’s title celebrations after a difficult time with injury…
I never experienced something like that before in my career, to see everyone that happy even on Tuesday night I don’t know, that’s why we play football and I think that’s why we work so hard this season just to make those people happy and we’re all proud of ourselves now. That’s what kept me alive every single day. I think I Have to be honest. I was on some days I was in some dark places for sure but I woke up every morning and just tried to work hard to be back as soon as possible. Now to be here to celebrate that victory, unbelievable, and it just shows you that everything is possible and you can work hard and You can turn it around always
Source: Sky Sports
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Wayne Rooney on Arsenal’s deserved success…
I have actually really liked how they have played this season. Yeah, you can look at it and say everyone wants to play the way Pep Guardiola’s team play, but he’s tried that the last three years and not won the league. He’s changed the recruitment, they’ve gone for a more bigger team, more physical team, and they don’t concede goals, they are solid, they have playes who score from all over the pitch and they fully deserve to win the Premier League. I think the Premier League this year hasn’t been as good as it has been in previous years and that’s not taking anything away from Arsenal, they fully deserved to win, they have been the best, the most consistent team. When you’re consistent, you normally win the league.
Source: BBC Match of the Day
Declan Rice on pivotal team meetings…
There were a couple of crucial meetings that took place as a group, without the staff, just as players. We just spoke openly about how we feel and what’s achievable. After Wolves was one of them, going into the Spurs game. That was the most crucial one. We said, if we’re going to win, let’s enjoy winning. Let’s not just feel pressure all the time. We had got so far playing so well. We were in all competitions at that stage still. Everything just felt so good but there was a bit of a negative, you could just sense it. We just said we have to relax a bit. From that moment, everyone just calmed down and felt free. I think that was the turning point.
Source: Sky Sports
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Ian Wright…
You hope this could be the start of something for Arsenal. Pep [Guardiola is going and Chelsea have to do what they need to do. What’s happening with Liverpool? We’re not sure. This is a time when you look at Arsenal’s team, the average age is 24 to 28 and players will want to come to Arsenal now,. It’s now up to Arteta and Berta who they want to bring in to continue this. There is a window for Arsenal before everyone else catches up. So, I’m hoping we can take advatage of that.
Source: Sky Sports
Bukayo Saka to Ian Wright about his “you deserve more” social post in 2020
I was in a dark place. Obviously I know what you guys have done for the club and where this club has been in the past, and at that very moment, we were very low and very far from the level I believe Arsenal should be. I know from school, from social media, the banter and what people say about Arsenal, how they laugh about us. At that moment I just wanted to put it out in a post. That’s what I felt at that moment. But it’s done now. No more jokes. It’s our time.
Source: Sky Sports
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Arteta on what happens next…
What I said to the boys is that this shirt now represents something else. We are the champions and that brings a lot of confidence and a different kind of presence and energy to it. But as well another kind of responsibility as well. My job now, and everybody at the club, is going to be to live those standards now and achieve more and more because I think we are capable of winning.
Source: Post-game press conference