Bukayo Saka sent a clear message to Arsenal’s doubters. He says the noise has finally stopped after their Premier League win.
The conversation has shifted. It is no longer about whether Arsenal won the title. For Saka, it is about what it means. The celebrations showed a sense of vindication. The team faced years of near misses. Many accused them of lacking nerve to finish the job.
The winger spoke as players gathered at London Colney. They watched Manchester City draw 1-1 at Bournemouth. That result confirmed Arsenal as champions.
“Light that up,” Saka said in footage shared by Jurrien Timber on Instagram. Moments later, the training ground trophy lit up.
“Let me tell you something. Twenty-two years, 22 years. There was laughing, there was joking, they’re not laughing anymore,” he added. “Look, it is going to be shining, it is going to be shining bright.”
The remarks cut into a narrative that followed Arsenal all season. The club finished runners-up three years in a row. They faced fresh claims of “bottling” the race after a defeat to City in April.
Instead of fading, the squad responded. They won four consecutive games with clean sheets. City dropped points against Everton and Bournemouth.
Academy teammate Myles Lewis-Skelly echoed the mood. In a separate clip, he said: “They called us bottlers. And now we’re holding the bottle.”
Manager Mikel Arteta, who returned to rebuild the club in 2019, received congratulations from former boss Arsene Wenger. Wenger said: “You did it. Champions go on when others stop. This is your time. Now, go on and enjoy every moment.”
Even rival manager Pep Guardiola offered praise. He said: “On behalf of everyone at Manchester City, we congratulate Mikel and all the staff, players and fans on winning the Premier League. They deserve it, for so much hard work and effort.”
Arsenal will lift the trophy after their final league match. That match is away to Crystal Palace on Sunday. Attention then turns to Budapest. They face Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League final on May 30.
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