‘Heard it here first’ - Declan Rice makes Arsenal trophy promise after failing to add Champions League crown to Premier League title

Arsenal held a parade to celebrate becoming 2025-26 Premier League champions. Arteta's squad left Emirates Stadium at 2.15pm to begin their 5.6-mile journey around the parade route. Captain Martin Odegaard was the first player to board the bus, adorned with 'Champions 25-26', holding the Premier League trophy. The Gunners had been hoping for a double celebration by following up their league success with a first Champions League trophy in the club's 140-year history.

Kai Havertz fired them into an early lead in Budapest, but Paris Saint-Germai equalised through Ousmane Dembele's penalty, and Eberechi Eze and Gabriel both missed in the shoot-out. Gabriel admitted the defeat was "painful", but added on Instagram: "I'm proud of this team and everything we achieved together this season."

Rice celebrated Arsenal's Premier League title success by rapping to 'Ice Ice Baby' on their open-top bus - and then vowed his side are "coming back for more" next season. The England midfielder grabbed a microphone and belted out the Vanilla Ice classic as thousands upon thousands of Gunners fans lined the streets of north London to celebrate a first league crown in 22 years.

The party was jumping despite their Champions League penalty shoot-out heartbreak against Paris Saint-Germain less than 24 hours earlier. Rice told Sky Sports: "I love this team, I love the manager. To see the joy we can give people, it's crazy. But, next year we're coming back for more. You heard it here first now. Lock in or get locked out."

Meanwhile, Myles Lewis-Skelly was not even born the last time Arsenal won the title in 2004. The 19-year-old, who started the Champions League final in midfield, told Sky Sports: "First of all, I'm so product of the boys. I'm proud of the organization in helping us get here because it hasn't been an easy season. But obviously we've come to the end of the season and we're champions of England."

"It's disappointing because when you're so close to a dream, a goal, you feel slightly short but as Mikel said, it's added fuel to the fire, so we'll use that. I'm going to see my family here as well. It's going to be emotional, so I'm so excited. The last two weeks have been incredible. Just sharing those moments with the team, the people that you love dearly, that you go to war with. It's amazing. For me, [the future] is bright. I feel like it's the start of a new era and I feel like we're ready to go and achieve our dreams. [Arteta] has been so supportive of me over my whole journey, so I'm just so grateful for him and the trust he's given to me. Thank you, and we're not done!"

Gabriel and team-mate Eze appeared in good spirits on the bus despite the agony of the night before, while Arteta smiled broadly as he waved to the crowds. Members of the Arsenal staff followed on a second bus, while the women's team were on a third bus parading the FIFA Champions Cup they won in February. An estimated half-a-million supporters were in attendance, with red smoke billowing around the buses as hundreds of flares were let off.