By: Ganiyu Olayinka
Arsenal have won the Premier League title for the first time in 22 years, ending a drought that has tested the patience of their supporters since the legendary Invincibles season of 2003/04.
Mikel Arteta’s side were confirmed champions on Tuesday night after Manchester City could only draw 1-1 at Bournemouth, handing Arsenal the title they have chased across three successive runners-up finishes. City’s draw left them four points adrift with just one game remaining, making it mathematically impossible for Guardiola’s side to catch the Gunners, who sit on 82 points.
The Gunners did not even need to play on the decisive night. Following their 1-0 win over Burnley at the Emirates on Monday, all eyes turned to the Vitality Stadium, where a goal from Bournemouth youngster Eli Junior Kroupi proved perhaps the most important of the entire season. Although Erling Haaland equalised late on, the draw was enough to end Arsenal’s long wait.
The Gunners have won 25 of their 37 league games this season, drawing seven and losing just five, having sat atop the table for all but one week since hitting the front in October. Their defensive record has been equally impressive: goalkeeper David Raya has claimed the Golden Glove for the third successive season, with Arsenal keeping 19 clean sheets – the best defensive record in the division.
The title is Arsenal’s fourth in the Premier League era, putting them two clear of Liverpool and one behind Chelsea in the all-time standings.
For Arteta, the triumph is deeply personal. The Spaniard becomes the first former Premier League player to win the trophy as a manager, having played for the club between 2011 and 2016 before being appointed head coach in December 2019. It is the culmination of a near seven-year rebuild that transformed, in the words of one observer, a fractured club with a half-empty stadium into champions of England.
Arsenal also reached the Champions League final for the first time in 20 years this season, underscoring just how far the club has travelled under Arteta’s stewardship.
The trophy lift is set to take place at Selhurst Park on Sunday, where Arsenal face Crystal Palace in their final fixture of the season.
A fitting stage for a coronation that has been 22 years in the making.
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