Bukayo Saka declared that Arsenal’s critics were “not laughing anymore” after the club secured their first Premier League title in over 20 years.

Players and staff gathered at Arsenal’s London Colney training base on Tuesday evening to watch nearest challengers Manchester City draw 1-1 away at Bournemouth, a result that confirmed the Gunners as champions with an uncatchable four-point advantage heading into the final weekend of the season.

While celebrations erupted among the squad, jubilant scenes also unfolded outside the Emirates Stadium, where thousands of supporters marked the achievement with fireworks, flares, and chants late into the night.

Having finished as runners-up in each of the previous three campaigns, Arsenal had faced heavy scrutiny during this season’s title race. Following their 2-1 defeat to City on April 19, critics questioned the team’s mentality and accused them of throwing away another opportunity to become champions.

However, Mikel Arteta’s side responded impressively to the setback. As City dropped points against Everton and Bournemouth, Arsenal maintained their composure by winning their next four league matches without conceding a single goal, sealing a memorable return to the summit of English football.

Arsenal’s title triumph also saw Mikel Arteta become part of an exclusive group to win the English top-flight crown both as a player and as a manager.

Since returning to the club as head coach in December 2019 during a difficult period for Arsenal, Arteta had reportedly placed a blacked-out Premier League trophy at the London Colney training ground, designed to illuminate only once the team became champions.

“Light that up,” Bukayo Saka said in a video shared by defender Jurrien Timber on Instagram.

“Twenty-two years — there was laughing, there was joking, but they’re not laughing anymore,” the England winger added. “Now it’s going to shine bright.”

In another celebratory Instagram clip posted on Saka’s account, academy graduate Myles Lewis-Skelly was seen holding a champagne bottle while referencing criticism aimed at the squad during the title race.

“They called us bottlers,” Lewis-Skelly said. “Now we’re the ones holding the bottle.”

Both Lewis-Skelly and Saka emerged from Arsenal’s Hale End academy system and played key roles in the club’s long-awaited return to the top of English football.

Former Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger also appeared in a celebratory message shared by the club following their Premier League triumph.

The Frenchman, who guided Arsenal to three league titles — including the famous 2004 “Invincibles” campaign — praised the current squad for their achievement.

“You did it,” Wenger said. “Champions keep going when others stop. This is your moment, so enjoy every second of it.”

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, who previously worked alongside Mikel Arteta during their successful spell together at City, also congratulated his former assistant.

“On behalf of everyone at Manchester City, congratulations to Mikel, the players, staff, and supporters on winning the Premier League,” Guardiola told Sky Sports. “They fully deserve it because of the hard work and commitment they have shown.”

Arsenal are set to lift the Premier League trophy following their final league fixture of the season away to Crystal Palace on Sunday.

The north London side could still complete a remarkable double later this month when they face Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League final in Budapest on May 30, with the club chasing a first-ever European crown.