ORLANDO GILI / ARSENAL

May 2026 - Twenty-two years of hope, frustration and belief finally released.

As Arsenal secured their first league title since 2004, a generation of pent-up emotion spilled onto the streets of north London, and reverberated across the capital in scenes of collective celebration. 

Photographed over a remarkable fortnight by lifelong Arsenal supporter Orlando Gili, this series follows the highs and lows of a fanbase experiencing history in real time. These photographs capture a city riding every emotion that football can offer.

The journey begins at nightfall when thousands of fans rushed to the Emirates Stadium, to share in a moment of pure joy and ecstasy. It crosses the river and continues to Crystal Palace's Selhurst Park on the final day of the Premier League season, where Arsenal's 2–1 victory saw the players finally lift the trophy in front of jubilant travelling fans, before celebrations spilled back into the streets of Holloway Road and beyond. 

With one final challenge remaining, supporters packed pubs, bars and street corners to watch Arsenal face PSG in the Champions League final in Budapest. The dream of the double and a European crown, ended in defeat on penalties, but the mood of celebration endured. 

The series concludes on 31 May, as Gooners returned to the Emirates for a victory parade, more than two decades in the making. Arsenal's last league title came in 2004. For many of the young supporters captured here, it existed more as mythology than lived experience. The release of that collective weight is visible in every frame. 

From barber shops and pubs to packed pavements and London streets awash with red and white, these photographs record a city celebrating together. A portrait of a club, its supporters, and a moment that many thought might never come: Arsenal, champions of England once again.