Arsenal Celebrations After Beating Atletico Spark Debate Over Prematurity

Arsenal beat Atletico Madrid on Tuesday to reach the Champions League final for the first time in 20 years, the second time in the club's 140-year history. Jubilant fans booked trips to Budapest, where the Gunners face either Bayern Munich or Paris St-Germain on May 30.

Arsenal can become European champions for the first time and complete a continental double while leading the Premier League. The club aims to join six other English teams as European Cup or Champions League winners and become the fourth to take national and European titles in one season, after Liverpool twice, Manchester United twice and Manchester City once.

Wayne Rooney, part of Manchester United's 2007-08 double-winning side, called Arsenal's celebrations premature. "They deserve to be in this position but they haven't won it yet," the former England striker said on Amazon Prime. "I think the celebrations are a little bit too much. Celebrate when you win."

Former Arsenal striker Ian Wright replied on X: "Arsenal fans, let me tell you something: enjoy this. The celebration police will be out in force. Do not get nicked! Enjoy yourselves, football's about moments and this is a big moment. Enjoy it and let's hope that in the final and after the final we have another massive moment. It's a great day."

Ex-Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger took the Gunners to their prior Champions League final in 2006, a 2-1 loss to Barcelona. On beIN Sports, he said: "They celebrated well tonight, which is normal. But you want more to focus already on the final and the next game. The celebration is deserved and happiness is absolutely normal, but now the next step is of course to go to the final and win it."

Rooney also criticized Manchester City's celebrations after their 2-1 win over Arsenal last month revived their Premier League title push. "I think it was a little bit over the top," he said. "It is obviously a big win. I just think it's a little bit premature and it might come back to bite them."

BBC pundit Danny Murphy agreed City's reaction looked excessive, "like maybe they had already won [the title]." The former Liverpool and England midfielder added: "I think it was more a celebration of realising that they are in this and it is in their own hands."

Scarlet Katz Roberts of the Goal Difference podcast said Arsenal should celebrate. She pointed to the lift from victories over Fulham and Atletico Madrid amid a season of pressure despite leading the table. Roberts recalled watching City savor their League Cup win at Wembley and the power of Arsenal players streaming onto the pitch with 'Freed From Desire' playing and fans roaring.

Tuesday's celebrations featured Mikel Arteta and players joining hands and running to each end of Emirates Stadium. Chartered sports psychologist Bradley Busch of Inner Drive called it a sign of a healthy team mindset through 'emotional contagion,' where unity spreads.

"Players aren't doing that to try to improve future performance - they're doing it because it's a sheer release of thinking and breathing about this stuff 24/7 and realising your goals," Busch told BBC Sport. "In what is such a high-pressurised environment I think it's really healthy for it not all to build up and bubble, and to celebrate on the pitch."

Busch said claims of over-celebration resemble old 'celebration police.' He defined excess as anything harming future performance, like showboating, unlike Arsenal's reaction. The Tottenham fan added: "I absolutely do hope it's a case of over-celebration - but that's more of my personal opinion than professional one!"