Arsenal have finally been crowned 2025-26 Premier League champions, ending a 20-year wait for the title after Manchester City were held to a 1-1 draw by AFC Bournemouth, a result that mathematically ended Pep Guardiola’s pursuit of his former assistant Mikel Arteta.
The Gunners had moved to within touching distance of the title following their 1-0 victory over relegated Burnley on Monday. That win left them three points away from glory, and a Manchester City victory would have pushed the race to the final day. Instead, City’s draw confirmed Arsenal as champions with one match still to play.
Despite a shaky start to the season, Manchester City recovered and held second place from early November, applying persistent pressure on Arsenal. But Arteta’s side remained resolute, defending their lead and eventually sealing the championship through consistency, discipline and tactical clarity.
A major pillar of Arsenal’s success has been their dominance in set pieces. The team has scored 35 set-piece goals across all competitions this season — more than any club in Europe’s top five leagues in the past decade. Their physicality and sharpness inside the six-yard box have earned them a reputation for grinding out results even in tight, high-pressure encounters.
While some critics argue that Arteta’s title-winning side lack the aesthetic brilliance of Arsène Wenger’s “Invincibles” of 2003-04, who won the league without losing a single match, few can dispute the effectiveness of the current team’s pragmatic, set-piece-driven approach. The strategy has delivered the Premier League trophy and could yet propel them to more glory with a UEFA Champions League final still ahead.
Arsenal’s return to the summit marks the culmination of a long, tense, and fiercely contested season—one defined by resilience, precision, and a relentless belief in Arteta’s evolving philosophy.
