Arsenal ended a 22-year wait for the Premier League title on Tuesday night after Manchester City drew at Bournemouth, triggering wild celebrations among players and supporters alike.

The Gunners had finished runners-up in three consecutive seasons, twice losing out to Pep Guardiola's City side after key slip-ups in the run-in. That persistent near-miss record earned Arsenal a reputation as bottlers — a label two of their players were quick to mock once the title was finally secured.

Holding the bottles

Bukayo Saka posted a video to social media on Tuesday night, filmed alongside team-mate Myles Lewis-Skelly, both with champagne in hand. Egged on by Saka, Lewis-Skelly delivered a line that will live long in Arsenal folklore.

They called us bottlers, and now we're holding the bottles!

The quip captured the mood of a squad that had been written off more than once during the 2025/26 campaign. Arsenal had led the table for the majority of the season before losing 2-1 to City at the Etihad last month — a result widely billed as a potential title decider.

Rather than fold, Mikel Arteta's side responded by winning their next four fixtures, while City dropped points twice to hand Arsenal the breathing room they needed. That run included three hard-fought 1-0 victories, further proof of a resilience the doubters had questioned.

Saka's message to the doubters

In a separate video posted by defender Jurrien Timber, Saka addressed Arsenal's critics directly, pointing to a blacked-out Premier League trophy installed at the club's training ground — one designed to light up only when the title was won.

Light that up. Let me tell you something. Twenty-two years, 22 years. There was laughing, there was joking, they're not laughing any more.