Arsenal are Premier League champions for the first time since Arsène Wenger’s Invincibles in 2004 after Manchester City drew 1-1 at Bournemouth.
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Arsenal’s squad and staff, including Mikel Arteta, gathered at the training ground in Hertfordshire to watch the game, with Declan Rice posting a picture on Instagram within minutes of the full-time whistle of him with Kai Havertz, Eberechi Eze, Bukayo Saka, Myles Lewis-Skelly and William Saliba. “I told you all .. it’s done,” wrote the England midfielder in reference to his “It’s not done” battlecry after Arsenal lost to City last month
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Footage showed players and staff celebrating, chanting “championes”, and Eze was seen jumping up and down on a table. The squad are understood to have headed elsewhere to continue their celebrations. Arsenal’s website stated that Arteta had “cemented his place in our history as one of our greatest managers of all time”. The 44-year-old is the second-youngest manager to win the Premier League, behind José Mourinho with Chelsea in 2005.
Arsenal also released a video on their social media accounts that was introduced by Wenger drinking a glass of red wine. “Champions go on when others stop,” he said. “Now go on and enjoy every moment.”
It is a remarkable achievement by Arteta in his first job in management, the Spaniard having transformed Arsenal into contenders since taking over from Unai Emery in December 2019. His team finished as runners-up in the past three campaigns and led the way for most of this season before City whittled down Arsenal’s nine-point lead after beating them at the Etihad.
Despite carrying the scars of previous years, Arteta’s side emerged strongest from what in effect became a five-game playoff between the two contenders. City blinked first when they drew against Everton, with Arsenal recording four successive wins without conceding a goal – culminating in Monday’s 1-0 victory over Burnley.
Arsenal fans had gathered in the pubs near the Emirates in anticipation of Bournemouth securing a positive result and celebrated wildly on the final whistle, spilling on the street. Within 10 minutes of the title being confirmed thousands were marching towards the Emirates. The former Arsenal striker Ian Wright was seen enjoying the moment at the stadium.
Arsenal will receive the Premier League trophy at Selhurst Park on Sunday after they face Crystal Palace in their final game. Arteta will become the longest-serving manager in England’s top four divisions when Guardiola’s departure from City after 10 years is confirmed and has the chance to emulate his mentor by winning the Champions League when Arsenal face Paris Saint-Germain on 30 May. Only on five occasions have an English team won the top division and the European Cup in the same season, with City the last to accomplish that feat in 2023.
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