LONDON — The gray, gloomy skies over the Emirates Stadium in N5 had been overpowered by an abundance of red-and-white confetti blasted into the air as Arsenal’s ladies’s staff hoisted the coveted UEFA Champions League trophy aloft in entrance of their adoring followers.
Hundreds of helps had begun gathering in Armoury Sq. as early as 5 a.m. on Monday to have fun the top of an 18-year anticipate a European trophy, following the Gunners’ shock 1-0 victory over Barcelona on Saturday in Lisbon.
The victory parade didn’t begin till after 10 a.m. — with a number of followers joking it was just like the Glastonbury pageant, displaying up as early as doable to safe a spot by the barrier on the entrance — and, after an introduction from Alex Scott (who scored the successful objective within the 2006-07 ultimate, the final time Arsenal lifted the trophy), a replay of the match highlights and a DJ set, the gamers had been welcomed onto the stage one after the other.
There have been big cheers for childhood Gooners Leah Williamson (who was a membership mascot again in 2007) and Lotte Wubben-Moy, shouts of “Meado” [Beth Mead] and “Russo” [Alessia Russo] when the 2 England forwards joined the get together, and screams of devotion for defender Katie McCabe and captain Kim Little. Although that was no match for the adulation proven in the direction of Swedish striker Stina Blackstenius, who netted the successful objective.
Busy busy pic.twitter.com/YgcQmTnyJA
— Emily Keogh (@emilyskeogh) Could 26, 2025
Following the trophy elevate, some relatively out of tune renditions of “Candy Caroline”, “Karma Chameleon” (with tailored lyrics to reward Blackstenius), “Freed From Want” and “Merely The Finest,” summed up the sentiments of what Arsenal had achieved. And it was solely simply starting to sink in for the gamers.
Centre-back Steph Catley was greedy the winners’ medal round her neck as if it was going to vanish.
“I do not assume [it’s sunk in],” she instructed ESPN. “I feel it is arduous. Generally I simply look down at this [the medal], I have been sporting it continuous for nevertheless lengthy it has been, nevertheless many hours, however we are saying it to one another a bit, ‘We received the Champions League’ after which it sinks in for a second. It is actually arduous to place into phrases, however like I stated, it is the perfect second of my profession.”
— Emily Keogh (@emilyskeogh) Could 26, 2025
Arsenal, whose males’s staff completed second within the Premier League however didn’t win a trophy, anticipated an honest displaying for the ladies’s parade, however no-one may have predicted the turnout as followers crammed the sq. and surrounding streets to busting level. “It is fairly overwhelming to be sincere,” Catley added. “That was insane; I’ve by no means felt like that in my life. This entire expertise has been what you dream of as a child once you resolve to be a footballer. To do it with this membership, it is every part I may have ever dreamed of.”
For Williamson — who joined Arsenal on the age of eight, coming by means of the academy earlier than making her debut for the primary staff in 2014 and being named vice-captain — it was all she had ever dreamed of. She has been ready for this second all her life.
“My desires got here true,” she stated. “I feel it sunk in once I rotated and noticed on the stadium, the honoring of the earlier staff that did it [in 2007] after which computing in my head that that is what we did. Elevating a Champions League trophy on Armoury Sq., that isn’t one thing I ever thought could be doable. I am simply so glad.”
Loads of the followers in attendance had travelled to Lisbon for the ultimate in opposition to Barcelona and made it again in time for the early begin in north London. Round 4,000 had made the 1,300-mile journey to Portugal.
Earlier than Saturday’s kick-off at Sporting CP’s 50,000-seater Estádio José Alvalade, the aptly named “Pink Avenue” (it’s actually a pink road) was flooded with Arsenal shirts. Followers poured out of the native bars and eateries that crammed the small alleyway in Lisbon metropolis centre, lined by a cover of rainbow umbrellas, reeling off the much-loved chants from their songbook to organize for the sport.
Lifelong fan Lily first instructed ESPN that she “hopes they’re going to carry the trophy again to north London,” however then the truth of the duty of defeating the reigning champions kicked in and she or he added: “However they battered Chelsea, so so long as we do not loss by 5-0, I will be okay.”
Her household, all in Arsenal shirts of some sort, had travelled the night time earlier than, managing to safe flights and a lodge earlier than the costs rose dramatically. There, she met up with the tons of associates she had made by means of the membership and becoming a member of meetups. Making the journey was not solely about supporting Arsenal, it was about sharing the second with the individuals she had spent all season with. “It would not be the identical [watching from home]; I could not miss it,” she stated. “As quickly as they had been within the ultimate, I knew I needed to be right here.”
Arsenal’s travelling contingent had proven up within the lots all through this season, each domestically and overseas, although as soon as contained in the Estádio José Alvalade they had been outnumbered by the devoted Barcelona supporters who made the quick journey over the border to Portugal.
Barca followers crammed all sides of the stadium, bar the nook the place Arsenal’s important core congregated, hoping their facet would safe a third-straight title. However, after a cagey first half, they had been surprised into silence when Beth Mead rolled an ideal go into the trail of Blackstenius, who slotted house in 74th minute.
Rookie supervisor Renee Slegers, who succeeded Jonas Eidevall after the 5-2 defeat to Bayern Munich in October, had arrange her plan expertly — asking Caitlin Foord to drop into the center, creating 4 midfielders within the central areas to forestall Aitana Bonmatí and Alexia Putellas from with the ability to run by means of. And by the point Barcelona caught on, it was too late.
“The gamers had the sport of their lives and I genuinely do not know anyone that put up a foot mistaken when it comes to the gameplan and what it was meant to be,” Williamson stated.
“I feel the gameplan at all times is that we wish to be the toughest working staff on this planet and I do not assume there’s many membership groups that may inform me in any other case. It is extra about us being mentally on it in opposition to Barcelona. It was a collaboration of everyone, every part, all of us. The strap line was ‘all of us, all in.’ That is what you noticed.”
The celebrations after the ultimate whistle had been emphatic. Tears streamed down faces, households poured onto the pitch, and followers couldn’t fairly imagine what had occurred. Even a number of Ballon d’Or winner Bonmati was left in disbelief.
“I dropped my knees due to the tears and I used to be drained to be sincere,” Williamson stated. “After which immediately, I went to search for Kim [Little] after which she was proper in entrance of my face, however we had been simply we had been sobbing.”
Each on and off the pitch, the scenes reminded of the celebrations when England received Euro 2022. After a number of hours absorbing the environment and savoring the second, Williamson led the staff by means of the combined zone with audio system blaring out music as they filed onto the bus. “Get pleasure from your night time; I do know I’ll,” she yelled over the noise on the gathered media.
Again on the staff lodge, musician Jess Glynne — who had promised to carry out if the staff received — placed on a present. At one level she was joined by midfielder Victoria Pelova for a duet. Although it was McCabe, whose voice was waning after the 36 hours of celebrations, who led the cost.
“We have all performed arduous. As you possibly can hear from my voice, it has been an incredible previous few days,” Mead stated. “These are core recollections that may follow me and the staff ceaselessly.”
However regardless of one other trophy within the cupboard and celebrations more likely to run deep into the summer season, Arsenal are already looking forward to subsequent season. The win has solely spurred the staff on to need extra.
They might be champions of Europe for a second time — doing what Chelsea had did not do all through Emma Hayes’ glittering 12-year tenure, and what Sonia Bompastor couldn’t do that season regardless of an unbeaten WSL run — however the Gunners have not received the league in six years, nor been in an FA Cup ultimate in 4 years. So that is the proper basis to construct on.
“I feel that is the factor, you win as soon as and you are like, ‘now we now have to defend it.’ We’ve to remain Champions League winners,” Catley stated. “There’s a lot we wish to win within the league. We would like an FA Cup, we would like the League Cup once more, we would like the League.
“That is one thing wonderful to construct on for subsequent season. We have got a style of the final word success, so we undoubtedly need extra. We have received the final word objective this season, however subsequent 12 months we wish to go up one other degree.
