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Wayne Rooney felt Arsenal went too big after reaching the Champions League final, but Ian Wright had no time for the fun police.
Rooney Wants Arsenal to Keep the Cork In
Arsenal are heading back to the Champions League final for the first time since 2006 after beating Atletico Madrid 1-0 at the Emirates, sealing a 2-1 aggregate win and sending the home crowd into a full-throttle party.
Wayne Rooney, a Champions League winner with Manchester United in 2008, was not quite ready to join the confetti brigade. Speaking on Amazon Prime, he said Arsenal deserved their place in the final, but argued the celebrations looked too much for a team that had not yet lifted the trophy.
That view will split plenty of fans and punters. Some will see Rooney’s point: finals are where legacies are made, and the betting markets will not pay out on good vibes. Others will say reaching the biggest club game in Europe after nearly two decades is exactly the sort of night supporters are allowed to lose their heads over.
Wright Fires Back at the Celebration Police
Ian Wright was having none of it. The Arsenal icon urged supporters to enjoy the moment and warned them not to get caught by the “celebration police,” a tidy little jab at anyone grumbling about the scenes in north London.
Wright’s point was simple enough: football is built on nights like this. Arsenal fans have watched near-misses, rebuilds, banter years and painful European exits. When the team finally books a Champions League final place, telling them to stand politely and save it for later feels a bit joyless.
Budapest Now Becomes The Betting Focus
Arsenal will now turn toward the final at the Puskas Arena in Budapest, with Paris Saint-Germain or Bayern Munich set to provide the opposition.
For bettors, that means the narrative shifts fast. Arsenal’s emotional high is one factor, but the matchup will shape everything: prices, outright winner markets, scorer props and player specials. If it is Bayern, history between the clubs will get dragged into every preview. If it is PSG, Arsenal will face a side with serious European muscle.
Arteta Still Has Work to Do
Arsene Wenger also backed the celebrations, calling them deserved, while making the obvious next point: Arsenal must now focus on winning the final.
That is where Mikel Arteta earns his money. Let the players enjoy the night, then get them back down from the ceiling. Arsenal have given their fans a memory already, but the market, the media and every rival supporter will judge this run by what happens in Budapest.
