Wright and Wenger defend Arsenal's exuberant scenes as Gunners book Champions League final spot

Ian Wright and Arsene Wenger have sprung to Arsenal's defence over the intensity of their celebrations following Tuesday night's Champions League semi-final heroics, dismissing suggestions that the Gunners got carried away.

Bukayo Saka's 44th-minute strike proved decisive as Arsenal dispatched Atletico Madrid 1-0 on the night, securing a 2-1 aggregate scoreline and booking their passage to the Champions League final for the first time since 2006, when they fell to Barcelona by the same scoreline.

The timing could hardly have been better for the north London outfit, arriving hot on the heels of Manchester City's slip-up—a 3-3 draw with Everton—that handed Arsenal the initiative in the Premier League title race.

Yet not everyone was convinced by the scale of the Gunners' post-match scenes. Wayne Rooney, speaking on Prime Video, suggested Arsenal had perhaps overdone it given that silverware remained in the distance. "They haven't won it yet," the Manchester United legend observed. "I think the celebrations are a little bit too heavy. Celebrate when you win…but no, they deserve it."

Wenger, however, saw nothing untoward about the scenes. The legendary manager told beIN SPORTS that Arsenal's elation was entirely justified. "I think Arsenal wanted it a bit more than Atleti and they were more decisive in the duals," he explained. "We said before the game that to go to the final they needed to be strong defensively and they didn't concede a goal tonight."

The former Gunners boss highlighted their defensive discipline, noting that Atletico were kept at arm's length throughout the opening 45 minutes when they desperately needed to find the net. "They played a team who for 45 minutes absolutely needed to score a goal and they didn't give them a chance," Wenger said.

He concluded: "In the end it's a well-deserved win for Arsenal, there's no doubt they were the better team over the two legs. The celebration is deserved and happiness is normal – absolutely normal – but the next step is to go to the final and win in."

Wright, meanwhile, took aim at what he termed the "celebration police," encouraging Arsenal supporters to embrace the occasion without restraint. Via social media, the ex-Gunner posted: "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, it's a great day!"

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta soaked in the atmosphere after the final whistle, reflecting on what the achievement meant to the club. "It's an amazing night to live this kind of moment with the players and everyone at the club, it's an incredible feeling," he said. "It makes sense with all of the things we do and we go through and I see so many happy faces and proud of what we're doing.

"It was unbelievable right from the beginning – the supporters waiting for us outside the stadium, the energy and passion that they put in so it was just great to win this. They set the standards and we've tried to catch up with them. We struggled so many years to give that joy back and the pride in their eyes was beautiful to watch."