Arsenal are celebrating being Premier League champions again after Manchester City dropped points against Bournemouth, sealing the title with one match left. The 1-0 win over Burnley on Monday set up the opportunity, and City’s 1-1 draw confirmed Arsenal’s first league crown since the 2003-04 season.
Mikel Arteta described hearing the title confirmed as one of the strongest emotions of a coaching career that has already featured many intense moments. The Arsenal manager now prepares the squad for a relaxed final-day fixture against Crystal Palace, with the main target already achieved.
This latest success ends a 22-year gap between league titles for Arsenal, the longest such wait since Liverpool’s 30-year stretch between 1989-90 and 2019-20. Overall,
Arsenal now hold 14 English top-flight titles, with 10 secured before the Premier League era began in 1992.
Only two clubs sit above Arsenal in the all-time English champions list. Manchester United and Liverpool each have 20 titles, placing Arsenal third. The Gunners are also one of only two teams, alongside Liverpool, to secure top-flight titles in eight separate decades since league football started in 1888.
Arsenal have collected 82 points so far this Premier League season. A final-day win at Selhurst Park on Sunday would lift that total to 85. That would move them beyond Liverpool’s 84-point tally from last season, underlining how consistent Arsenal have been across the campaign.
Arteta explained how the moment of confirmation unfolded away from stadium noise or a packed viewing party. The manager had planned to stay at the training ground and watch Manchester City’s match with players and staff, but felt unable to share that environment once the game approached.
"It's incredible to hear them [words], especially when you consider the journey they've been on, the way they've done it, and how many people have been involved and waiting so long to achieve that goal," Arteta said. "You probably don't realise it. It's one of the best feelings I've ever had. "
Arsenal Premier League champions reaction and family moment
Arteta left the training ground about 20 minutes before kick-off, feeling the group needed space. "I was supposed to beat the training ground, watching the game with the boys and the staff because that's what they wantedbut I couldn't," Arteta said, describing a decision to step away from the shared viewing.
Arteta chose to go home instead and stayed outside rather than follow the match live. "I went home, I went outside to the garden and had a BBQ, and I didn't watch any of it. I was just hearing some noises in the living room, and suddenly the magic happened," Arteta said, recalling how events turned.
The defining confirmation came through family, not television pictures. "My eldest son opened the garden door, started to run towards me, gave me a hug and said: 'We are Champions, daddy!' It was beautiful. " That moment framed the personal side of a season-long sporting effort.
The Arsenal. Your Premier League champions. pic.twitter.com/gNnfzesrhPArsenal (@Arsenal) May 19, 2026
Arsenal Premier League champions and Andoni Iraola link
The title story also carried a link to Bournemouth head coach Andoni Iraola. Arsenal lost 2-1 to Bournemouth in April, a result Arteta felt almost derailed their push, before Bournemouth’s draw with Manchester City helped secure the championship in the final week.
Arteta detailed how quickly contact was made once the title was settled. "I didn't message him, I rang him!" Arteta said. "I called him yesterday, firstly to congratulate him on the incredible job he has done with Bournemouth. I told him he almost took the Premier League away from us [Arsenal lost 2-1 to Bournemouth in April] and then helped us to win it on the last week! I rang him to show my admiration towards him and wish him the best in the next chapter of his career, which I'm sure is going to be very successful. "
With Arsenal confirmed as Premier League champions, attention now turns to how the squad handle the final fixture and the celebrations that follow. The club’s long wait for another league title is over, their historical position among English champions is strengthened, and the season’s key targets are complete.
