After 22 years of waiting, Arsenal are Premier League champions again as Mikel Arteta’s side finally ended Manchester City’s dominance after three successive runners-up finishes and delivered the consistency required to go all the way.
The title was not won in one game or one month, but was built through recruitment, late goals, key saves and moments that shifted momentum in Arsenal’s favour during the season.
ALSO READ: Arsenal win Premier League for first time in 22 years
Tuesday’s result on the south coast leaves Mikel Arteta’s men four points clear of City before the final round of games take place on Sunday, with the Gunners set to lift the trophy at Crystal Palace.
Sporting Tribune outlines key moments behind Arsenal’s Premier League triumph
Summer recruitment
Arsenal entered the season determined to strengthen a squad that had fallen short in previous campaigns. The club added eight players during the summer transfer window, with Viktor Gyokeres arriving from Sporting in a £64m deal as the headline signing.
Martin Zubimendi joined from Real Sociedad to strengthen the midfield, while Piero Hincapie added depth in defence. Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze also arrived in moves aimed at giving Arteta more attacking options.
The investment proved decisive as Arsenal competed on multiple fronts. Unlike previous seasons, Arteta was able to rotate without losing quality, while the bench regularly influenced matches during the title race.
Martinelli’s late goal against City
One of the earliest turning points came in September when Gabriel Martinelli scored a stoppage-time equaliser against Manchester City at the Emirates Stadium.
City had taken the lead through Erling Haaland and looked on course for a major win after controlling long periods of the game. Guardiola even switched to a defensive setup to protect the advantage.
However, Arsenal’s substitutes changed the contest late on. Eze created the opening before Martinelli converted in the 93rd minute to rescue a point that later proved important in the title race.
Rather than allowing City to pull away early in the season, Arsenal stayed within touching distance and gained the belief they could compete until the end.
Late comeback at Newcastle
A week later, Arsenal produced another important result away to Newcastle United.
Arteta’s side had struggled badly at St James’ Park in recent years and fell behind after Nick Woltemade opened the scoring. Arsenal also had a penalty decision overturned by VAR during a tense encounter.
Mikel Merino equalised late in the game before Gabriel headed home a dramatic winner in the 96th minute.
The celebrations at full-time reflected the significance of the result. Arsenal showed they could win difficult matches under pressure, even when performances were not at their best.
North London derby
Arsenal underlined their title credentials in November with a commanding win over Tottenham Hotspur.
The Gunners entered the derby after a long unbeaten run and capitalised on Manchester City’s defeat to Newcastle earlier in the weekend.
Eberechi Eze was the central figure as Arsenal secured victory and moved six points clear at the top of the table. His hat-trick capped one of the club’s strongest performances of the season and highlighted the impact of Arsenal’s summer recruitment.
The result also strengthened the belief inside the squad that they could maintain their challenge over the full campaign.
Manchester City’s poor run
While Arsenal continued collecting points, Manchester City endured a difficult spell at the start of 2026.
Dropped points against Sunderland, Chelsea and Brighton slowed Guardiola’s side, while defeat in the Manchester derby deepened their problems.
City briefly recovered during the Christmas period, but the inconsistency that followed allowed Arsenal to create breathing space at the top of the table.
For the first time in years, Guardiola’s side looked vulnerable during a title race, and Arsenal took advantage.
Gabriel avoids suspension
Another important moment arrived during Arsenal’s clash against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium in April.
City won the match through Haaland’s second-half goal, but attention later shifted to an altercation between the Norwegian striker and Gabriel.
The Arsenal defender appeared to move his head towards Haaland during a heated exchange. However, no red card was shown.
Had Gabriel been dismissed, he would likely have missed Arsenal’s next three matches during the closing stages of the title race. Instead, Arteta kept one of his key defenders available for the run-in.
Everton result swings momentum
Manchester City also suffered a damaging setback away to Everton.
Guardiola’s side looked set for victory after Jeremy Doku gave them the lead, but a mistake from Marc Guehi changed the game.
Thierno Barry capitalised on an under-hit backpass to equalise before Everton scored twice more in quick succession.
Although City fought back to draw 3-3, the dropped points handed momentum back to Arsenal, who already had points on the board at that stage of the campaign.
Raya’s saves
In the closing weeks of the season, Arsenal faced a difficult trip to West Ham United knowing any mistake could reopen the title race.
The game remained level until David Raya produced a crucial save from Matheus Fernandes at close range.
Leandro Trossard later scored what proved to be the winner, but Arsenal still had to survive late pressure from West Ham.
Callum Wilson thought he had equalised in stoppage time before VAR ruled out the goal for a foul on Raya during the build-up.
The decision preserved Arsenal’s advantage and moved them another step closer to the title.
Arteta’s quality
After several near misses, Arsenal finally found the consistency needed to become champions.
The squad depth improved, late goals changed matches, and key defensive moments helped them survive pressure from Manchester City.
Arteta’s side also showed greater control during difficult periods of the season, something that had been missing in previous campaigns.
Twenty-two years after their last title triumph, Arsenal are back on top of English football.
(BBC)
