Arsenal reach Champions League final after 20 years, fans celebrate big moment

Arsenal beat Atletico Madrid to reach their second Champions League final in club history set for May 30 against Bayern Munich or PSG.

Emirates roars after dramatic win Tuesday’s victory over Atletico Madrid sent Emirates Stadium into raptures as Arsenal secured their first Champions League final in two decades. The 2-1 win marked only the second time in the club’s 140-year existence that the Gunners have reached the showpiece stage. Jubilant supporters are already arranging trips to Budapest for the May 30 final, where Arsenal will face either Bayern Munich or Paris Saint-Germain. With the Premier League title still within reach, the club could complete a historic European double if both competitions end in success. ## Rooney questions early celebrations Wayne Rooney, part of Manchester United’s 2007-08 treble-winning side, argued that Arsenal’s celebrations were premature. On a major streaming platform, he stated, "They deserve to be in this position but they haven’t won it yet. I think the celebrations are a little bit too much. Celebrate when you win." Rooney also criticized Manchester City’s recent title-race response, calling their post-win reactions "a little bit over the top" and warning they might face consequences later. ## Wenger and Wright split on fan euphoria Arsene Wenger, who guided Arsenal to their previous Champions League final in 2006, acknowledged the team’s right to celebrate after Tuesday’s result. Speaking on a sports network, he said, "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." Former Arsenal striker Ian Wright fired back on social media with a rallying cry: "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." ## Fan voices outweigh the critics Scarlet Katz Roberts of the Goal Difference podcast defended Arsenal’s emotional outpouring, calling it unscripted joy after weeks of tension. Describing the players’ pitch invasion to the song "Freed From Desire" and the fans’ thunderous support, Roberts wrote, "It wasn’t stage-managed, it was just joy — so hard to come by but so simple. Arteta has been searching for that sensation." She also praised the club’s fanbase for discovering the power of unified backing, adding that Arsenal’s anthem "North London Forever" suddenly felt anthemic rather than clichéd. ## Psychologist backs team unity Bradley Busch, a sports psychologist, called the players’ group celebration a sign of strong team spirit and emotional health. He explained that collective jubilation can spread positivity, a phenomenon known as "emotional contagion" in research. "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," Busch noted. He dismissed suggestions of over-celebration as outdated, stressing that nothing in Arsenal’s reaction risked harming future performance.