LONDON — Arsenal can finally reset the clock. After a staggering 8,060 days, the Gunners are once again Premier League champions. Mikel Arteta’s team has truly earned the right to celebrate as the top team in the country.
Were they the most thrilling to watch? Perhaps not. The most visually stunning? Only for Arsenal fans. However, the Premier League title race has always been about results, not aesthetics.
Pep Guardiola aimed to elevate the league’s beauty standards with six titles in 10 seasons at Manchester City, showcasing some of the finest football the league has ever seen. Yet, champions are ultimately judged by one metric: points. Arteta’s Arsenal has climbed to the top after three consecutive second-place finishes, claiming their first league title since Arsène Wenger’s “Invincibles” secured the club’s 13th English league championship following a victory against Tottenham Hotspur in April 2004.
Wenger’s team was groundbreaking, boasting speed, flair, aggression, and strength, yet they were succeeded by José Mourinho’s Chelsea, who epitomized a contrasting style of physical prowess and defensive resilience. This shows that Arteta isn’t the first to adopt a pragmatic approach to winning the title.
After Arsenal’s trio of near misses, Arteta faced mounting pressure to transform the team into champions and rid them of the “nearly men” label. He successfully made Arsenal a tough opponent, emphasizing strong defense and effectively utilizing set pieces. Mastering these crucial aspects provides a solid foundation for any team, and Arteta’s Arsenal excelled in executing them.
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At times, they did hold back — presenting a stark contrast to Paris Saint-Germain, their Champions League final opponents on May 30. Still, the Guardiola era at City has fostered a trend of valuing attacking style above all else. However, being defensively strong and well-organized is also an art, and Arsenal has secured the championship under Arteta by committing to this principle.
The statistics highlight their success: Arsenal has conceded the fewest goals in the league this season (26), recorded the most clean sheets (19), and achieved the most 1-0 victories (eight). Additionally, they lead the league in goals from set pieces (24) and corners (18). Since 2011-12, only José Mourinho’s Real Madrid (38 in 2012-13) and Diego Simeone’s Atlético Madrid (37 in 2014-15) have registered more goals from set pieces than Arsenal’s 35 this season across all competitions.
With two matches remaining in the 2025-26 season — against Crystal Palace in the Premier League and the Champions League final versus PSG — Arsenal could surpass both Real and Atletico in this regard, and if they do so, it would be cause for celebration rather than embarrassment.
Football is cyclical; periods of flair can dominate, just as times of defensive discipline can prevail. Guardiola, Wenger, and Jürgen Klopp have created teams renowned for their style, while Mourinho, Antonio Conte (Chelsea, 2016-17), and Arteta have adopted a more pragmatic philosophy. Sir Alex Ferguson balanced both styles with Manchester United over the years, but he primarily focused on getting results and then letting the entertainment unfold.
Arteta’s challenge now is to maintain the balance. After enduring the longest wait in the club’s history between titles, he successfully led Arsenal to end a 22-year drought.
Looking ahead, Arsenal’s quality is too great for Arteta not to foster a more dynamic attacking game in the coming years. The pivotal question will be: How much will it evolve? With the weight of expectation lifted at the Emirates, Arteta now has the opportunity to let Arsenal express themselves, showcasing the talents of players like Martin Ødegaard, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Bukayo Saka, and Kai Havertz.
Supporters familiar with Wenger’s illustrious squads will expect Arsenal to be dominant, mixing tenacity with artistry. However, despite Wenger’s teams being extraordinary, they never managed to defend a title, which presents another hurdle for this current Gunners generation. The shifts among rivals suggest that this title may mark the inception of a dynasty rather than just a successful season.
With Guardiola poised to depart City at the season’s end, the evolving dynamics at the Etihad will likely pull City back into the fray, while Liverpool, Chelsea, and Manchester United are also undergoing their own transitions. Arteta, aged 44, took nearly six years to secure his first title but might also lead Arsenal to its first Champions League triumph this season.
With the league title in hand, the Arteta era has officially commenced.