This season has been filled with excitement, tension, and nail-biting moments, but Arsenal has emerged as the 2025-26 Premier League champions. This was confirmed after Manchester City drew 1-1 with AFC Bournemouth, preventing Pep Guardiola from overtaking his former protégé, Mikel Arteta, at the top of the standings.
The Gunners secured a 1-0 victory over relegated Burnley on Monday, bringing them within three points of clinching their first league title in over 20 years. Had City won against Bournemouth, the title race would have carried into the final match of the season. However, the championship is now decided.
After a rocky start to the season, Manchester City regained their form and maintained second place since early November, closely trailing Arsenal. Yet, Arteta’s squad showed great resilience under pressure, holding firm to claim the title with one game remaining.
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Having finished as runners-up for the third consecutive time last season, with Liverpool taking the 2024-25 title, Arsenal heavily invested in reshaping their squad. Over £260 million was spent during the summer transfer window, with key signings including Martín Zubimendi, Eberechi Eze, Noni Madueke, and Viktor Gyökeres.
Arteta’s men commenced the season strongly, defeating Manchester United on the opening day and holding the top position for a significant portion of August. After losing the lead in September, they reclaimed it on October 4 and have largely remained at the summit since then, spending a total of 234 days atop the table across 32 gameweeks this season.
The cornerstone of Arsenal’s triumph this year has been their intense focus on set-piece scoring and physical dominance. This season, the Gunners have netted 35 set-piece goals across all competitions, outdoing every club in Europe’s top five leagues over the last decade.
While some may criticize the absence of flair found in Arsenal’s previous championship – when Arsène Wenger’s “Invincibles” won the title in 2003-04 without losing a game – it’s hard to dispute the effectiveness of Arteta’s set-piece-driven strategy. It has brought them success, potentially leading to a UEFA Champions League title this season.
There have been a few bumps in the road. A significant 2-0 defeat to Man City in the Carabao Cup final on March 22 raised concerns. Following that, the pressure mounted, and Arsenal faced back-to-back league losses against Bournemouth and City in mid-April, which allowed Guardiola’s side a chance to close the gap.
Nevertheless, Arteta’s resilient outfit bounced back, winning all four of their subsequent matches. A critical victory over Burnley brought them within touching distance of the title. Sunday’s match at Crystal Palace will serve as a celebratory affair as Arsenal finally exorcises the demons of past seasons.
2021-22
In the 2021-22 season, Arsenal held the title of the youngest squad in the Premier League, with an average age of just 24 years and 308 days. They were not serious contenders for the title, instead fighting for European qualification. Despite a strong chase from Liverpool, City topped the table throughout the second half of the season, ultimately winning the league by a single point.
For context, Guardiola’s champions accumulated 30 points from the last 12 games, while Arsenal could only achieve 18, resulting in a fifth-place finish and qualifying for the UEFA Europa League.
2022-23
Three years ago, Arsenal was at the top of the table after playing 27 matches, holding a five-point lead over the reigning champions, City, with both teams having completed the same number of games.
Arsenal managed to stay in the lead until gameweek 33, when they suffered a heavy 4-1 defeat against City at the Etihad, resulting in losing their top spot. City maintained their stronghold and clinched the title by five points, securing the first segment of their Treble victory that season, which also included the FA Cup and the Champions League.
2023-24
Throughout the 2023-24 campaign, Arsenal found themselves in a fierce title fight with Manchester City and Liverpool. The three teams often finished the season separated by just a point or two during the thrilling conclusion of the season.
The Gunners fought valiantly and even held the top spot several times in May. Ultimately, it wasn’t sufficient to stop City from surging ahead to secure their fourth consecutive title, finishing just one point ahead of Arsenal following the final day’s victory over West Ham United.
2024-25
With Manchester City struggling and falling behind in the title race, Arsenal and Liverpool were left to battle it out at the top of the Premier League. Arteta’s squad lingered in second place since December but faced setbacks in late-season matches, including a disappointing 2-1 home loss to Bournemouth in early May, allowing Liverpool to finish ten points ahead.
Despite dropping as low as seventh prior to Christmas, City improved significantly post-New Year, accumulating more points than Arsenal (27 to 21) over their final 12 games, ultimately ending the season in third place, just three points behind an exhausted Gunners squad.