20 Defining Moments of Arsenal's Championship Season
The camera never missed a beat.
From Old Trafford in August to the trophy lift at Selhurst Park in May, club photographer David Price tracked every stride, every roar, every quiet intake of breath in a season that ended with Arsenal crowned champions. With the players now scattered on post-season breaks, he’s turned back through thousands of frames and pulled out the 20 that, for him, define the journey.
Not the cleanest list of goals and celebrations. Something more intimate than that. Moments.
20. Hello Hincapie
It starts behind the curtain. Piero Hincapie, mid-signing video, caught in harsh light that slices across the frame. No stadium, no crowd, just a new signing gripping the flag, the club’s colours pressed into his hands as the cameras roll. The glare doesn’t wash him out; it sharpens him. A quiet beginning to a loud season.
19. Gabi gets away
Then the throttle opens. Gabriel Martinelli, in full flight against Kairat Almaty, tearing away from two defenders who look like they’re running through sand. The image is clean, uncluttered, the kind of picture that makes you feel the acceleration. Power in the legs, shoulders leaning into the sprint, defenders left with nothing but a view of his back.
18. Competitive edge
The mood shifts to something lighter. Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka squaring up in a pre-training game that’s supposed to be fun but never stays that way for long. Faces set, bodies coiled, both refusing to give an inch even when nothing’s on the line. It’s a glimpse of why this squad drove so hard all year: even the warm-ups turn into contests.
17. Parade day
Then the chaos. Parade day, and London drowns in red. Price’s chosen frame is dense, every inch of it crammed with supporters, flags, arms, phones held high. Red smoke curls through the scene, staining the air, turning the city into a moving mural. He’s covered parades before, but this one feels different: expectation replaced by vindication.
16. Let it all work out
A new number 10, a new era. The shot is simple: a clear view of the player, arm raised, waving to Arsenal supporters. It shouldn’t be hard to capture, but it is. Multiple cameramen jostling for the same angle, bodies blocking the line of sight. One clean frame emerges, the player isolated against the noise, acknowledging the crowd that will judge him.
15. The mask
Some images you know are coming. Viktor’s mask celebration was always going to appear a few times over the campaign, but catching it properly is another matter. Here, the shot lands. No blur, no obstruction, just the forward locked in his now-iconic pose, expression sharp, celebration unmistakable. A trademark, frozen.
14. Picture perfect
Away from the pitch, the city becomes a canvas. A handwritten sign, a window, and two fans framed perfectly as they spot the parade buses rolling into view. Their reaction does the heavy lifting: raw, unfiltered joy pressed up against the glass. It’s a small moment, but it tells you everything about what this title means beyond the players and staff.
13. Under the lights
On a European night against Bayer Leverkusen, Price digs out an old star filter and takes a risk. It pays off. Declan Rice stands with the floodlights blazing behind him, the filter turning them into radiant flares that frame his face. The light doesn’t just illuminate him; it crowns him, cutting a striking silhouette that feels almost cinematic.
12. What it means
The stakes rise as spring approaches. At the London Stadium, Leandro Trossard hits a crucial goal and the reaction from him and Cristhian is pure detonation. Limbs, shouts, faces contorted with release. The frame captures that split second when pressure, fear, and hope collide and explode into something louder than words.
11. Captain’s glow
Sometimes luck steps in. Martin Ødegaard stands over a free-kick, the pitch divided by a thin shaft of light. By chance, he’s planted right in it. His number glows on his back, luminous, while the rest of the frame sinks into shadow. It feels symbolic: the captain literally standing in the spotlight as the season’s narrative tilts his way.
10. Cool customer
Selhurst Park, title secured, trophy gleaming somewhere out of shot. In the middle of the bedlam, Eberechi Eze pauses and somehow looks like he’s walked off a fashion shoot. Celebrations blur in the background; he stands composed, almost detached, exuding that effortless cool. The day is wild. He is not.
9. Cold on the coast
January in Bournemouth, and the cold bites. Price switches to black and white, a rare choice that pays off. The absence of colour amplifies the chill: breath in the air, players hunched, a stadium wrapped in winter. You can almost feel the wind coming in off the sea. It’s not a glamorous night, but titles are built on evenings like this.
8. On the board
Mikel Arteta has become as watchable as his team. In this frame, he celebrates with Arsenal supporters, the scoreboard looming behind him, spelling out the story of the night. A year earlier, Price chose a different image from this fixture, Arteta leaping in jubilation. This time, the bond with the fans takes centre stage. Manager and crowd, aligned.
7. Rising highest
Chaos in the box, bodies everywhere, and then—there he is. Little Gabi, rising above the crowd to meet the ball and head home. The picture feels crowded, almost messy, but that’s the point. Among the tangle of limbs and shirts, his leap cuts through. Determination, timing, courage in one suspended moment.
6. Chelsea dagger
Under the lights against Chelsea, Kai Havertz delivers. The goal is one thing; the reaction is another. Price’s frame locks onto Kai’s face, emotion pouring out, steam lifting off his shoulders and catching in the floodlights. The condensation turns into a halo of effort and adrenaline. It’s a dagger to Chelsea, and the image twists it.
5. Gold dust
When the trophy comes out, most lenses follow it. Price looks elsewhere. Myles Lewis-Skelly stands with his gold Premier League patch on display, showing it off with the kind of pride that needs no explanation. No confetti, no podium. Just a young player and a tiny square of fabric that says everything about what’s been achieved.
4. Winning feeling
Back at the London Stadium, the final whistle has gone and two giants stride off the pitch. Gabriel and William Saliba, shoulder to shoulder, celebrating a win that feels huge in the title race. They’re not leaping or screaming; it’s a deeper satisfaction. The kind of look defenders wear when they know they’ve done their job on a big night.
3. NLD emotions
The north London derby delivers its own brand of electricity, and this frame bottles it. Eberechi Eze covers a huge grin, trying and failing to hide it. Zubimendi just shrugs, as if to say, “What did you expect?” Piero Hincapie and Declan Rice hover on the edge of going completely wild. It’s layered, funny, telling. A rivalry, briefly reduced to pure, unguarded reaction.
2. Parade window, clock in the past
Near the end of the roll comes a simple, almost understated shot. A player in the present, the Highbury Clock End clock in the background, tying everything back to the club’s history. No fireworks, no smoke, just a clear nod to where this all started and how far it has come. A moment in time, anchored by the past.
1. A season in a single frame
Price’s countdown ends not with the biggest roar, but with the image that, to him, best distils the campaign: a clean, balanced shot that catches club, players, and supporters in the same breath, suspended in a year when everything finally aligned. No need for embellishment. The picture tells the story.
The trophy will dull, the smoke will clear, the players will move on. The photographs won’t.
