Ian Wright has urged Arsenal to emulate Manchester City's dominance after the Gunners clinched their first Premier League title in 22 years. The former striker, visibly emotional, called for the club to win multiple titles in the coming years following their triumph on Tuesday night.
Arsenal's Title Triumph
Bournemouth held Manchester City to a 1-1 draw at the Vitality Stadium, allowing Mikel Arteta's side to secure the title with a game to spare. The victory ended a painful 22-year wait since Arsene Wenger last brought the trophy to north London in 2004.
The jubilant squad gathered at the club's training ground, where a touching video message from Wenger was shared on social media. The iconic Frenchman passed on his congratulations to Arteta and the players.
Outside the Emirates Stadium, fans celebrated with raucous scenes and fireworks, marking the club's first league title since 2004 and Arteta's second major trophy after the FA Cup in 2020.
Wright's Emotional Reaction
Wright, a staunch supporter of Arteta through highs and lows, was pictured overcome with emotion during the celebrations. Speaking to Stan Sport Football, he said: 'Winning in '98 was unbelievable, but experiencing it as a fan, with everything we've gone through in the last three years... it's just been so tough.'
He praised Arteta's vision: 'Mikel, unbelievable. He came in, turned everything around, got the owners on side, got the fans on side, got players out, got players in, stuck to his principles.' Wright also acknowledged the contributions of Per Mertesacker, Edu, and Vinai Venkatesham.
Wright hit back at critics who had labeled Arsenal 'bottlers': 'People just hammer us all the time... Now they can't do that no more. All that noise has got to stop because everything he's done has led to them winning the league.'
Future Ambitions
When asked if this could be the start of a new era, Wright replied: 'You hope so because the first one is the toughest. I know there are players around the world who want to sign for Arsenal, so fingers crossed we can go on a Manchester City tear, do two or three titles. I'd love us to win another couple in the next five or six years, absolutely.'
Wright also reflected on his personal connection to the title, noting that this win felt even more special than his own in 1998 due to his injury during that season. He praised key players like Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, David Raya, Eberechi Eze, and Ben White for their contributions.
