WHEN referee Anthony Taylor blew the final whistle at the Vitality Stadium on Tuesday, he not only ended the match between Bournemouth and Manchester City. That moment ushered in Arsenal as the new English Premier League winners, ending the Gunners’ 22-year wait for the domestic title.
While the celebrations erupted in North London and across the world, at the heart of this historic coronation were four stars of Nigerian heritage whose flair, goals, and resilience helped Arsenal break the two-decade deadlock.
For millions of Nigerians, Arsenal’s victory felt more personal because of Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eze, Noni Madueke, and Ethan Nwaneri — all attacking players — whose brilliance on the grandest stage of English football propelled national pride.
For years, Saka was one of the players who carried Arsenal’s hopes. The winger, who joined the team’s Hale End Academy as an eight-year-old, was the heartbeat of Spanish coach Mikel Arteta’s rebuild following his appointment in 2019.
In the 2021/2022 season, he was Arsenal’s Player of the Year and finished as the team’s top scorer in both the Premier League (16) and all competitions (20), later reaching career-best totals in the 2023/24 season.
Saka, popularly known as the “Star Boy” among Arsenal fans, is a member of the team’s leadership group and has captained the side on several occasions.
Although injuries affected his output this campaign, the 24-year-old was an influential figure in the team’s journey to becoming English champions. He scored seven goals in the league and provided five assists in 31 matches, including the lone goal in the 1-0 victory over Newcastle last month. He also provided the assist in what was Arsenal’s season-defining goal against Burnley on Monday.
Expectedly, the winger was at the heart of the celebrations and was spotted at the club’s London Colney training ground after watching closest challengers Manchester City drop points against the Cherries.
After the match, Saka said Arsenal’s title win had silenced critics who were “laughing” at the team and “joking” about them.
“Light that up,” Saka said about an installed blacked-out Premier League trophy at Colney, which would light up only when the Gunners won the title.
“Let me tell you something. Twenty-two years, 22 years. There was laughing, there was joking; they’re not laughing anymore,” the England international added. “Look, it is going to be shining; it is going to be shining bright.”
As Saka mesmerised the wings, Eze added a layer of flair to Arsenal’s attacking frontline. Signed in the summer from Crystal Palace, one of his biggest contributions came in both legs of the games against Tottenham Hotspur.
He became the first to score five goals against Tottenham – in the North London derby – in a single league campaign since Ted Drake back in 1934/35. Overall, he scored seven goals in the league and provided two assists.
Eze was equally recognised at the 2025 Football Black List Awards for his work with the Eze Foundation, “which aims to bridge the gap between education and employment, providing young people with the support, connections, and real-world experience they need to thrive in their careers.”
As Arsenal clinched the title with one game to spare, the former Queens Park Rangers man attributed the feat to “God alone”.
“God alone decides,” he posted on his Instagram page. “22 years? Hold that.”
The 27-year-old was among players pictured in the early hours of Wednesday, celebrating with fans at 5:00 am at the Emirates Stadium party after their London Colney training ground.
His former coach and current Crystal Palace manager, Oliver Glasner, was among those who congratulated Eze, hailing him for making the right decision to join Arsenal.
“A special congrats to Eberechi [Eze]. I think he has taken the right decision to go to Arsenal and not another club,” Glasner said ahead of the team’s Premier League match against Arsenal.
For Madueke, he was brought in from Chelsea, adding depth and versatility to the Arsenal lineup. His explosive pace on the flanks provided a different dimension to the team.
He scored two goals and provided one assist as Arsenal pushed to the title and reached the Champions League final.
In a viral video after the victory, the 24-year-old’s mother was spotted celebrating her son as “a champion”.
“See the champion! See the champion! That’s my Noni! That’s my star boy! That’s my starboy! That’s my starboy,” the excited mother said while welcoming her son.
But the 19-year-old was sent on loan to French outfit Olympique Marseille. The forward, who is eligible for a medal, made his debut for Arsenal at 15.
On Thursday, he posted a photo of Arsenal’s training ground, a move observers suggest is a return to the Emirates.
There are reports he might be part of the club’s squad for the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain on May 30.
By helping the Premier League club win their first domestic crown since 2004, Saka, Eze, Madueke, and Nwaneri have strengthened Arsenal’s deep-rooted connection with Nigeria.
When Kanu Nwankwo dazzled the world in the early 2000s in an Arsenal shirt, the former Super Eagles skipper inspired a generation of Nigerians to fall in love with the Gunners. Years later, Alex Iwobi broke through the ranks to become a first-team regular.
Today, a new crop of players with Nigerian heritage has propelled Arsenal to the pinnacle of English football.
It is a milestone that has transcended sports. Fuji legend King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal (KWAM 1) perfectly captured the title-winning euphoria in a now-viral tribute track, singing the praises of the Arsenal stars of Nigerian descent.