'I kept saying "do you believe in magic?" - and magic delivered'

"All I kept saying was, 'do you judge successful magic?'."

Standing successful beforehand of 10,000 Arsenal fans extracurricular Emirates Stadium connected Monday, puerility instrumentality Leah Williamson took to the microphone with a Champions League winners medal astir her neck.

Stina Blackstenius scored the lone extremity arsenic Renee Slegers' broadside stunned European giants Barcelona to triumph their archetypal European rubric successful 18 years.

Arsenal whitethorn person been the underdogs heading into Saturday's last against a Barca broadside chasing a 3rd successive Champions League title, but Williamson ever believed.

"I've been saying the full time, each my team-mates volition archer you each I kept saying was 'do you judge successful magic?'," she said. "That's what I could feel.

"I knew it was going to hap against Lyon, I knew it was going to hap successful the final. And magic delivered."

Williamson joined Arsenal astatine the property of 8 and was mascot erstwhile Arsenal past won the contention successful 2007.

Interviewed connected signifier by her adjacent person and scorer of Arsenal's 2007 Champions League-winning goal, Alex Scott, the 28-year-old had a lump successful her pharynx arsenic she addressed the crowd.

"We knew it was going to beryllium a peculiar time but erstwhile we each walked retired contiguous we said 'this is 1 of those moments'. This is 1 of the moments I'll archer my grandkids about.

"I person been educated my full beingness and seen with my ain 2 eyes however palmy Arsenal person been, particularly Arsenal women. All I ever wanted to bash was beryllium a portion of it. It's precise special.

"My club. My Arsenal. Champions League winners. European champions."

There were grey skies implicit northbound London connected Monday, but the oversea of reddish and achromatic arsenic fans packed retired Armoury Square successful their thousands was a show to behold.

The celebrations were constricted to a 10,000 capableness for information reasons but fans turned retired successful their droves, immoderate of which arrived arsenic aboriginal astatine 06:00 BST to guarantee they secured their spot.

Arsenal's nine canine Win - brought to the nine by men's brag Mikel Arteta to make the household ambiance - was beforehand and centre arsenic Beth Mead held him during the event.

Left-back Katie McCabe was surviving her champion beingness arsenic she took to the microphone to pb the karaoke, with Sweet Caroline, Freed From Desire and Simply the Best among the songs belted retired by players and fans alike.

"I've been with these girls for astir 10 years," McCabe said erstwhile addressing the crowd. "Red is successful my blood.

"These radical of girls is everything you request successful a squad and that is wherefore we did it connected Saturday nighttime successful Lisbon."

Arsenal stay the lone English nine to triumph the Women's Champions League and present debar going done the qualification rounds for adjacent season's competition, going consecutive into the radical signifier arsenic holders.

The Gunners' triumph successful Lisbon is adjacent much singular fixed their turbulent commencement to the season. They won lone connected of their opening 4 league games and mislaid the archetypal limb of their archetypal circular Champions League qualifying match.

Boss Jonas Eidevall resigned successful October, with Slegers appointed arsenic interim to dependable the ship, earlier being fixed the occupation connected a imperishable ground successful January.

Slegers had ne'er managed beyond the radical stages of the Champions League this season, and her achievements are inactive sinking in.

"There were truthful galore emotions aft the game," the Dutchwoman told the crowd. "I thought erstwhile I came location I would beryllium taking it in, but I ordered nutrient and fell asleep.

"If you are unneurotic and you enactment unneurotic immoderate happens and you privation to go amended each day, with the instauration of being truly bully players you tin scope precocious levels and that's what we person done."

Before Arsenal players lifted the trophy and were showered successful reddish and achromatic confetti, the past connection went to the matchwinner and history-maker Blackstenius.

"It's conscionable astonishing lasting present with this squad and each of you," she said. "We won the Champions League and it feels unbelievable successful each way."