Twenty-two years. That is how long Arsenal fans have waited to call their club Premier League champions again. On Tuesday night, that wait finally ended — not with a victory, but with Manchester City dropping two costly points in a 1-1 draw against Bournemouth, handing the Gunners the title they have chased so desperately for the better part of a decade. The scenes at the Emirates were extraordinary, and across north London, the party carried on well into the small hours.
A Title That Felt Different Every Year — Until Now
If there is one word that captures Arsenal's journey under Mikel Arteta, it is patience. The Spaniard took over in December 2019 with the club in disarray, ninth in the table and without direction. Three years later, he had them within touching distance of the title — only to watch Pep Guardiola's City reel off win after win to clinch it. Then it happened again the following season. Then Liverpool pipped them last year. But Arteta never changed course. He kept building, kept improving, and kept believing. On Tuesday, that faith was rewarded in full. Arsenal finished the 2025-26 season on 85 points — 26 wins, 7 draws and just 5 defeats — conceding only 26 goals across the entire campaign. That defensive record alone tells you everything about the side Arteta has constructed.
Arteta Named Manager of the Season
The Premier League also named Arteta its Manager of the Season, and it is hard to argue with that. The first Arsenal boss to win the award since Arsène Wenger in 2002, Arteta has done what many thought impossible: he has made Arsenal genuinely feared again. The squad he has assembled — with Viktor Gyökeres leading the line, Bukayo Saka dazzling on the right and the commanding Jurrien Timber marshalling a resolute back four — is one of the most complete Arsenal sides in a generation. But more than just the players, it is the structure, the mentality and the relentlessness that has set this season apart. Arsenal did not just win the title; they won it convincingly.
Historic Double Still Within Reach
Remarkably, the title is only half the story. Arsenal face Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final in Budapest this Saturday — their first European final in 20 years. Win that, and Arteta joins the elite company of managers who have delivered a Premier League and Champions League double. For a club that endured 22 years without a top-flight title, reaching this point at all feels surreal. Doing the double would be the stuff of legend. North London has been waiting a long time. It has a few more days left to wait, but the belief has never been stronger.
Season context: Arsenal 2025-26 Premier League champions — 85 points (W26 D7 L5), 26 goals conceded (fewest in the division). Man City drew 1-1 with Bournemouth (Kroupi 39', Haaland 90+2') to hand Arsenal the title. Arteta wins Premier League Manager of the Season. Arsenal face PSG in the Champions League final, Budapest, 30 May 2026.
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