Was Arsenal ecstasy justified or a ‘bit too much’?

May 6, 2026 No Comments

Was Arsenal ecstasy justified or a ‘bit too much’?Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Mikel Arteta led Arsenal to the Champions League quarter-finals in 2023-24 and the semi-finals in 2024-25ByBen Collins and Harry PooleBBC Sport journalistsPublished14 minutes agoAfter some nervy games in recent weeks, there was an explosion of joy at Emirates Stadium on Tuesday.Arsenal beat Atletico Madrid to reach the Champions League final for the first time in 20 years – and just the second time in the club’s 140-year history.

Jubilant fans are now booking trips to Budapest, where the Gunners will face either Bayern Munich or Paris St-Germain in the final on 30 May.

Arsenal have a chance to become European champions for the first time and could even do the continental double as they are also top of the Premier League.

But some have pointed out they are yet to get their hands on any silverware, so are the “celebration police” right or was the Emirates ecstasy justified?

The league is the dream – but is this Arsenal’s moment in Europe?

‘Do not get nicked by the celebration police’

Arsenal will aim to become the seventh English club to win the European Cup/Champions League.

They could also be the fourth to become national and European champions in the same season – after Liverpool (twice), Manchester United (twice) and Manchester City (once).

Wayne Rooney was part of the Manchester United team that achieved the feat in 2007-08 and the former England striker felt Arsenal’s celebrations were premature.

“They deserve to be in this position but they haven’t won it yet,” Rooney mentioned on Amazon Prime.

“I think the celebrations are a little bit too much. Celebrate when you win.”

Former Arsenal striker Ian Wright responded on X,, external saying: “Arsenal fans, let me tell you something: enjoy this. The celebration police will be out in force. Do not get nicked!

“Enjoy yourselves, football’s about moments and this is a big moment. Enjoy it and let’s hope that in the final and after the final we have another massive moment. It’s a great day.”

Ex-Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger led the Gunners to their previous Champions League final in 2006, when they lost 2-1 to Barcelona.

Speaking on beIN Sports, Wenger mentioned: “They celebrated well tonight, which is normal. But you want more to focus already on the final and the next game.

“The celebration is deserved and happiness is absolutely normal, but now the next step is of course to go to the final and win it.”

Mikel Arteta pays tribute to Arsenal players and fans after ‘incredible night’

Rooney was also critical of Manchester City’s celebrations this season, after they beat Arsenal last month to get back in the Premier League title race.

“I think it was a little bit over the top,” he mentioned after City’s 2-1 home win.

“It is obviously a big win. I just think it’s a little bit premature and it might come back to bite them.”

Fellow BBC pundit Danny Murphy agreed City’s celebrations “looked a bit excessive, like maybe they had already won [the title]”.

But the ex-Liverpool and England midfielder added: “I think it was more a celebration of realising that they are in this and it is in their own hands.”

‘Not stage-managed, just joy’ – fan’s view

Scarlet Katz Roberts from the Goal Difference podcast

Arsenal should celebrate. If there’s one learning to be taken from the days between Saturday’s victory against Fulham and yesterday’s against Atletico Madrid, it’s that vibes are paramount.

For the majority of this season Arsenal have been top of the table, soundtracked by endless talk of a quadruple or non-quadruple, unable to move for bottle memes. The sporting evidence would suggest it’s been fantastic, but it’s felt so hard.

I begrudgingly watched the City fans and players love every moment of their League Cup victory as I shuffled out of Wembley. For a while after that, they seemed totally infallible, a giant blue behemoth blocking out the light. The importance of winning – of good feeling, particularly as energy fades, cannot be overstated.

I will never forget the Arsenal players streaming on to the pitch, ‘Freed From Desire’ booming out around the ground. I’ll never forget the fans drowning out Martin Keown pre-kick-off – sorry Martin – but I’m proud of how loud we were.

It wasn’t stage-managed, it was just joy – so hard to come by but so simple. Arteta has been searching for that sensation. Last night ‘North London Forever’ suddenly lost its hackneyed ring and became a rousing anthem.

It’s like the whole of the club and fanbase finally realised the sporting power of pure support.

As for Wayne Rooney, I’ll forgive him that one misstep. He’s been so good to Arsenal this season.

Arsenal fans players celebrate after the team reaches the 2026 Champions League final — Image caption,

Arsenal have not won a European trophy since the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1994

‘A world away’ from over-celebration – expert’s view

Tuesday’s celebrations included Arteta and his players joining hands and running towards each end of the Emirates.

Bradley Busch is a chartered sports psychologist who runs Inner Drive, a sports psychology training centre, and he told BBC Sport the collective celebration indicated a “very healthy team and squad mindset”.

“The technical phrase that is used in research for this is known as ’emotional contagion’, which basically says behaviours and attitudes and unity can spread and ripple through the team,” he mentioned. “One way you can do that is through celebrating together.

“On a more fundamental level, players aren’t doing that to try to improve future performance – they’re doing it because it’s a sheer release of thinking and breathing about this stuff 24/7 and realising your goals.

“In what is such a high-pressurised environment I think it’s really healthy for it not all to build up and bubble, and to celebrate on the pitch.”

Busch added that anyone suggesting Arsenal’s reaction was over the top “feels a bit like the old celebration police going on there”.

“The nearest you can get to defining over-celebration is anything that negatively impacts the future performance,” he explained.

“We sometimes see that with players and teams during the match – where they might think they have already won, which can lead to showboating or playing with much less intensity, or if it’s interrupting the preparation for the next match. But this is a world away from that.

“As a Tottenham fan, I absolutely do hope it’s a case of over-celebration – but that’s more of my personal opinion than professional one!”