Arsenal end 22-year wait to reclaim Premier League crown

Arsenal FC have won the Premier League for the first time in 22 years after Manchester City FC were held to a 1-1 draw by AFC Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium on Wednesday.

The result left City four points behind Arsenal with one match remaining, confirming Mikel Arteta’s side as champions. It is Arteta’s first Premier League title as manager and Arsenal’s first league triumph since the 2003/04 campaign under Arsène Wenger.

Led by captain Martin Ødegaard, Arsenal finally ended a run of near misses after finishing runners-up in each of the previous three seasons. The 2023/24 title race had gone down to the final day, with City finishing just two points ahead of the North London club.

The latest success also strengthens Arsenal’s standing among England’s most successful clubs. The title is their fourth in the Premier League era and 14th overall in the English top flight. Only Liverpool F.C. and Manchester United F.C., with 20 league titles each, have won more in English football history.

Arsenal’s campaign was built on contributions across the squad rather than reliance on a single player. Viktor Gyökeres finished as the club’s leading scorer with 14 goals, while Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eze, Leandro Trossard, Martin Zubimendi, Declan Rice and Mikel Merino also played key roles throughout the season.

Creativity from midfield and defence proved equally important. Ødegaard, Rice, Saka, Trossard, Jurrien Timber and Gabriel Magalhães all registered multiple assists during the campaign as Arsenal maintained consistency in the closing weeks of the season.

Manchester United remain the most successful club in Premier League history with 13 titles, followed by Manchester City with eight. Blackburn Rovers and Leicester City are the only other clubs to have lifted the trophy once.