By: Eugene Upah
Arsenal fans take to the streets outside the Emirates Stadium to celebrate after being crowned 2025/26 Premier League champions, ending a grueling 22-year title drought.
The 22-year ghost has finally been banished. For the first time since Arsene Wenger’s iconic “Invincibles” went unbeaten in 2004, Arsenal Football Club are the champions of England.
The Gunners officially clinched the 2025/26 Premier League title on Tuesday night without even kicking a ball. Following Arsenal’s gritty 1-0 victory over Burnley on Monday, defending champions Manchester City needed a win against Bournemouth to keep the title race alive until the final day. However, Pep Guardiola’s side sputtered to a 1-1 draw at the Vitality Stadium, mathematically handing the crown to Mikel Arteta’s relentless squad.
The final whistle in Bournemouth sparked scenes of pure, unadulterated delirium across North London. Thousands of fans flooded the streets around the Emirates Stadium, lighting red flares and chanting the names of their heroes, while social media footage captured the Arsenal squad celebrating wildly together at the club’s London Colney training ground.
For manager Mikel Arteta, this triumph is the ultimate validation of a six-year project. After enduring the heartbreak of finishing as runners-up to Manchester City for three consecutive seasons, the Spaniard finally found the winning formula.
“You did it! Champions go on when others stop. This is your time,” an emotional Arteta reportedly told his players as the reality of their achievement set in.
The foundation of Arsenal’s historic campaign was an absolute defensive juggernaut. Backed by goalkeeper David Raya—who secured his third consecutive Golden Glove award—the Gunners kept an astonishing 19 clean sheets over the course of the season.
But it was also a triumph fueled by bold summer business. Arsenal invested heavily over the break, bringing in Swedish talisman Viktor Gyökeres for £64 million alongside midfielder Martin Zubimendi and London-born star Eberechi Eze. The added depth proved to be the missing piece of the puzzle, allowing Arsenal to weather a grueling winter schedule and mount crucial late-game comebacks, such as Gabriel Martinelli’s dramatic stoppage-time equalizer against Manchester City back in September.
While the red half of London parties, Manchester City faces a sobering reality. Just 48 hours before dropping points to Bournemouth, rumors shook the football world that Pep Guardiola will step down at the end of the season after a trophy-laden decade in Manchester.
Guardiola was gracious in defeat, offering his congratulations to the new champions:
“Congratulations to Arsenal, Mikel, the staff, all the players, fans for this Premier League. You deserve it!”
Even British Prime Minister and noted Arsenal supporter Keir Starmer joined the chorus of celebrations, posting on X: “22 long years for the Arsenal. But finally, we’re back where we belong. Champions!”
Arsenal will officially lift the Premier League trophy on Sunday following their final league match of the season against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.
However, the celebrations may have to be slightly measured. Arteta’s men have a date with destiny on Saturday, May 30, when they travel to Budapest to face Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League final. Having conquered England, the Gunners now stand just 90 minutes away from completing the greatest chapter in the club’s 140-year history.
