Martin Odegaard hits police officer with football

Arsenal’s Premier League title parade drew almost a million fans to the streets of north London on Sunday, with captain Martin Odegaard accidentally heading a football into a police officer from the top of a double-decker bus, Declan Rice rapping Ice Ice Baby and a 19-year-old who was not born the last time this happened promising the crowd it is only the beginning.

The solemn Gunners had departed their Hilton hotel in Budapest shortly before 9am on Sunday morning, less than 24 hours after Eberechi Eze and Gabriel both missed penalties in the Champions League final shootout defeat to Paris Saint-Germain. Kai Havertz had given Arsenal an early lead before Ousmane Dembele’s penalty levelled matters, and the shootout heartbreak that followed made the return to London a complicated emotional journey for a squad that had achieved something truly historic in winning the Premier League, yet ended the night without the double they had been chasing.

By Sunday afternoon, the mood had transformed. Arsenal’s three red buses, one for the players, one for families and staff, and one for the women’s team celebrating the Champions Cup they won in February, set off at 2:15pm and wound their way through Islington across two hours of celebrations that none of those present are likely to forget quickly.

The Odegaard incident that nobody saw coming

The moment that will be replayed endlessly came from Arsenal’s captain. Odegaard, 27, headed a football from the top of the double-decker bus down into the crowd — with a beer in his hand at the time, and watched it travel in precisely the wrong direction, bouncing squarely off the head of a police officer walking below. The Norwegian immediately ducked down behind the railing to avoid being seen, unable to contain his laughter as teammates called out “Arrest him! Arrest him!”

The officer in question appeared unharmed by the entirely accidental encounter, and the moment quickly became one of the defining images of a parade that generated hundreds of thousands of social media posts before the buses had even reached the end of their route.

What Arsenal’s players said at the victory parade

Declan Rice set the tone for what Arsenal are planning to do next. Rapping to Ice Ice Baby, a song that has become synonymous with the England midfielder, Declan Rice told the crowd: “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.”

Ben White took to the microphone to poke fun at teammate Piero Hincapie, chanting for the defender to “get your bum out” in reference to an incident during Arsenal’s 1-0 win against Burnley earlier in the season when Hincapie’s shorts temporarily fell off following a challenge.

Myles Lewis-Skelly, 19, who started the Champions League final, delivered perhaps the most poignant reflection of the day when speaking to Sky Sports. “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,” he said. “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.” Asked for a message to the fans, he added: “Thank you, and we’re not done.”

Lewis-Skelly was not born the last time Arsenal won the league title in 2004. Co-owner Josh Kroenke, who prior to the final described extending Arteta’s contract as an “utmost priority”, joined in with fans on the bus as chants rang out around him.

The disorder that surrounded Arsenal’s title parade

The celebrations were not without serious incident. The Metropolitan Police confirmed 16 arrests around the parade footprint, with a crime scene established after a stabbing on Hornsey Road at around 8:30pm. Offences included drunk and disorderly behaviour, drugs offences, sexual assault and assaulting emergency workers.

Footage captured fans climbing onto the roof of a police van, banging their fists on the sides and chanting, while images showed others directing obscene gestures at officers as fights broke out. Met officers were pictured with their batons drawn. One man was photographed sitting on top of an ambulance despite its blue lights flashing. One constable was seen falling over as police attempted to prevent fans from entering Emirates Stadium at the end of the event, and another was nearly struck by a bottle.

The London Fire Brigade confirmed they had rescued approximately 75 people from incidents involving people at height during the day. They also attended a fire at a hotel believed to have been caused by a stray flare, with LFB Assistant Commissioner Pat Goulbourne confirming that pyrotechnics had triggered fire alarms at several locations in the area.