Arsenal fans in Singapore feel ‘unadulterated relief’ on club’s first EPL title in 22 years

SINGAPORE – Just like their fellow stalwarts from across the globe, Arsenal fans in Singapore were on tenterhooks in the early morning of May 20, even though their team were not in action.

All eyes were on the match at the Vitality Stadium where Bournemouth faced Manchester City, the Gunners’ rivals for the English Premier League title.

At the final whistle, there was a collective outpouring of emotions, running the gamut from tears of joy and unbridled happiness to sheer relief as the match finished 1-1, ending the Gunners’ 22-year wait for the league crown since 2004.

The result means Arsenal, who had beaten Burnley 1-0 on May 18, have an unassailable four-point lead over City ahead of the final round of matches on May 24.

And there could be more celebrations on the horizon, with Mikel Arteta’s side seeking to win the European title for the first time in the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain on May 30.

For Gunners supporter Azfarkhan Azman, finally ending their league title drought, especially after finishing second for the previous three seasons, came as “unadulterated relief”.

“To be honest, I’m still pinching myself, I cannot believe it is real,” said Azfarkhan, who works in digital marketing.

“After 22 years of near misses, heartbreaks, and the absolute torture of finishing second to City, finally crossing the finish line is just pure, unadulterated relief… It feels like a massive weight lifted off all our chests.”

He recalled how he was pacing up and down in his living room while “clutching my jersey” in the late stages of the game, after City forward Erling Haaland had added to the drama with a stoppage-time equaliser in their must-win match.

“My heart was thumping like crazy… And when the final whistle went, I just collapsed into the chair, put my head in my hands, and let out a breath I’ve been holding for two decades.

“Then it was pure chaos. I was alone screaming and crying, waking my wife up. I then saw the Arsenal page and the players celebrating, really brings a tear to my eye.”

Fellow Arsenal fan Lim Jin Fu too was crying alone in his living room, overcame by the tension and delight.

The 37-year-old retail associate said: “We finally did it after a long 22 years. I couldn’t fall asleep until 7am, luckily I was not working the next day.”

On their title charge this season, he hailed the signing of Swedish forward Viktor Gyokeres as one of the keys. He said: “We wanted a clinical striker for quite some time and we finally managed to get one, and he delivered.

“The defence did a great job too. (Goalkeeper David) Raya winning the Golden Glove for three years straight and the partnership of Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba was rock-solid.”

Eric Ong, Singapore national team manager and Arsenal fan of 38 years, admitted the anxiety he felt, not just during the Bournemouth match, but also over the closing stages of the season as the Gunners and City traded blows in the title chase.

He said: “The first feeling is pure happiness. It’s strange because it was not an Arsenal game, so there’s no tension to it… even when Erling Haaland equalised in added time, but when you know the job’s done, it was just satisfaction, and tears of joy really came.”

On Arsenal’s title chase, he said: “This had not been a straightforward journey… Even in the last couple of months, watching games is always anxiety, it’s a tough watch at times.”

The celebrations have whetted the appetite of the fans, and they are quietly confident that the Gunners can ride on the momentum ahead of the clash against favourites PSG in Budapest.

Azfarkhan said: “PSG have the star power to do damage, but this Arsenal team are built different now. We just survived the toughest and gruelling Premier League race and came out on top, so the confidence is sky-high.

“Our defence is arguably the best in Europe, and if we can control the midfield tempo, we can definitely choke them out.

“It really feels like the stars are aligning to right the wrongs of 2006 (when they lost 2-1 to Barcelona) and bring the Champions League trophy home for the double, hopefully.”

DevOps engineer Tan Boon Heng added: “Maybe not a confident ‘yes’ because of how strong PSG are and especially how they are gunning for back-to-back titles.

“But I think Arsenal know how much this Champions League title means to them because we’ve never won it and they have shown that they can compete with any team this season, so there is definitely a chance of winning for Arsenal.”

Ong agreed with the sentiment, noting: “We’ve shown this season in the Champions League that we are a match for any team and we don’t have to be favourites in the final.

“We just have to play our game, get a result and that’s all that matters. For a lot of people associated with Arsenal, we hope that we have a chance to do it and that would be the ultimate dream.”