Seventeen people were arrested as Arsenal fans descended on North London to celebrate the team winning its first Premier League trophy in 22 years. The Metropolitan Police reported that while most of the evening passed without incident, 17 arrests were made in the vicinity of the stadium for various offences, including affray, being drunk and disorderly, and assault on an emergency worker.
Arsenal fans had been gathering at the Emirates Stadium throughout the day as the team prepared to lift their Premier League trophy at Selhurst Park after their match against Crystal Palace. The celebrations followed the official crowning of Arsenal as champions on Tuesday, May 19, which had already sparked spontaneous festivities with over 10,000 people rushing to the stadium.
This time, police were better prepared, liaising with Arsenal and emergency service partners to manage the expected crowds. Throughout the day, officers implemented cordons to prevent overcrowding, stopping access to the stadium and funneling fans down side roads away from already gathered crowds.
The atmosphere was largely joyous, with fans singing, cheering, and chanting together while displaying flares, scarves, and horns. However, at around 10pm, access to Highbury and Islington station was closed due to the sheer number of people, leading to large crowds gathering outside.
A Met Police spokesperson stated: "Officers were deployed around the Emirates Stadium and local area on Sunday, 24 May, as large crowds gathered to celebrate Arsenal winning the Premier League. Prior to the evening we’d worked closely with Arsenal and our emergency service partners to ensure a plan was in place to manage the expected crowds. At around 6pm we put cordons in place to prevent further people entering the vicinity of the stadium. This was to prevent overcrowding and keep people in the area safe."
The spokesperson added: "While the evening largely passed without incident, we made 17 arrests in the vicinity of the stadium for various offences including affray, being drunk and disorderly and assault on an emergency worker."
