New footage from Arsenal’s Premier League title celebrations has emerged showing captain Martin Odegaard cradling and dancing with the trophy at a lavish Mayfair nightclub, as manager Mikel Arteta told his players they would be “champions of Europe” by Saturday.
The Gunners celebrated long into Sunday night at Bacchanalia, an exclusive central London establishment that describes itself as a “world of Mediterranean delicacies, revelry and artistry” and where bottles of the venue’s most expensive wine carry a price tag of £56,000. Videos leaked to social media on Tuesday captured the full exuberance of a squad that had finally ended a 22-year wait for the Premier League title, having finished second in each of the previous three seasons before ultimately beating Manchester City by seven points.
In one clip, Odegaard could be seen rocking the trophy from side to side with a broad smile. Another showed Arteta addressing his squad in buoyant mood. “On Saturday, we’re going to be champions of Europe!” the manager declared, with the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain in Budapest now just days away. A third video captured left-back Piero Hincapie in animated conversation on the venue’s balcony, while a fourth showed party guests parading the trophy around the room in a conga line. Declan Rice was also filmed dancing and rapping while clutching the silverware, surrounded by club staff.
In a more intimate moment, the club arranged for singer Louis Dunford to perform “The Angel” — better known to Arsenal supporters as “North London Forever” — in a private piano serenade.
The celebrations had begun hours earlier at Selhurst Park, where Arsenal beat Crystal Palace 2-1 to round off the title-winning campaign after Manchester City’s 1-1 draw with Bournemouth confirmed the Gunners as champions. In the dressing room, the group of Christian players within the squad — including Bukayo Saka, Jurrien Timber and Eberechi Eze, known informally as the “Bible Brothers” — posed together and made cross signs with their hands. Gabriel Martinelli kissed the trophy on the team bus as it pulled away from south London, while Gabriel Magalhaes danced with his wife Gabrielle Figueiredo at the afterparty. Martinelli’s girlfriend Isabella Rousso documented the day and night extensively on social media, posting no fewer than 17 times across the celebrations.
Speaking on the pitch at Selhurst Park after lifting the trophy, Arteta reflected on the scale of the achievement. “It’s an amazing feeling. I’ve been trying to go through this moment a few times, but I could never expect it to be that big, to be that beautiful, and to see so much joy and pride amongst all the people and our supporters,” he said. “Tomorrow we’ll start to prepare for the final in Budapest, and I can’t wait to write a new chapter in the history of our football club.”
PSG head into Saturday’s final in Budapest as bookmakers’ favourites, though few inside Arsenal’s camp will be heading there in anything other than full belief — if Arteta’s speech to his players is anything to go by.
