Hundreds of thousands of Arsenal fans packed the streets of north London on Sunday for a victory parade celebrating the club's first Premier League title in 22 years. Players displayed the trophy from open-top buses as they traveled a five-mile loop through Islington, circling Emirates Stadium.
The women's team joined the celebration as well. They had lifted the first-ever FIFA Women's Champions Cup earlier in the season.
The parade came one day after the men's team lost the Champions League final against Paris St-Germain in a penalty shootout in Budapest.
Fans reached toward the buses as they passed, with flags waving and players throwing Arsenal scarves into the crowd. Fireworks and the sound of vuvuzelas filled the air along the route.
Joe, who attended with his young son Trey, told the BBC: "We've been knocking on the door for the last four seasons and we've finally done it. I'm so excited." Trey reflected on the club's recent rise, saying: "In the late 2010s, they weren't in the best form, they weren't finishing in the top... six every season. So, it was a struggle. But now, since 2022, we've been finishing in the Champions League spots. It feels surreal to come up against such a good team with PSG."
Theresa, who was born streets away from Arsenal's home ground, told the BBC: "You could say I've been a fan since I was born." She added: "It has been a long time since Arsenal has had anything to scream and roar about."
Fan Michael told the BBC he had been "an Arsenal fan since [Thierry] Henry," calling the win "a dream come true" and adding "it's only up from here - I'm over the moon." His favorite current player was Myles Lewis-Skelly. His partner Teju said she supported Bukayo Saka and his partner Tolami Benson, whose outfits she admires.
One fan told the BBC he had waited 22 years for the moment and was only nine years old when Arsenal last won the title during the Invincibles season, when the club did not lose a single league game. He called Sunday's parade "one of the best days of my life."
The Metropolitan Police called it one of the largest policing operations of the year, deploying more than 500 officers alongside specialist search and drone teams. A dispersal zone was in place to deter anti-social behavior. By 21:00 BST, police said 16 people had been arrested for offenses including drunk and disorderly behavior, drugs offenses, sexual assault, and assaulting emergency workers.