After 22 years of waiting, Arsenal have finally reclaimed their status as champions of England. The Gunners, who finished as runners-up in three painful consecutive campaigns under Mikel Arteta, held off a relentless Manchester City side to secure the Premier League title. The journey was marked by significant investment in the squad, dramatic late goals, and critical flashpoints that swung the title race in their favor. BBC Sport reflects on the five key moments that defined Arsenal’s triumphant season.
Arteta’s side underwent a transformative summer, bringing in eight new faces while offloading only Thomas Partey. The headline arrival was Swedish striker Viktor Gyökeres, acquired from Sporting for £64 million, finally providing the clinical number nine supporters had craved. Midfielder Martin Zubimendi arrived from Real Sociedad to add steel in the center, while a loan deal for Bayer Leverkusen’s Piero Hincapié bolstered the defence. Attacking flair was enhanced by the signings of Noni Madueke from Chelsea and Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace. With over £250 million spent, the investment raised eyebrows, but as the season unfolded, each addition proved instrumental in creating the depth required to sustain a title charge.
The first critical juncture arrived as early as September. Hosting Manchester City in the fifth league game, Arsenal fell behind to an Erling Haaland strike and struggled to break down a resolute City defence that sat deep, with Pep Guardiola switching to a back five to protect the lead. In the 93rd minute, however, substitutes Eze and Gabriel Martinelli combined to produce a stunning equalizer. Martinelli’s close-range finish not only rescued a point but also prevented a damaging early defeat. That three-point swing – denying City two extra points – would prove decisive in a race decided by the finest margins.
A week later, Arsenal faced another test of character at St James’ Park, a ground where they had suffered three straight defeats without scoring. Newcastle took the lead through Nick Woltemade in a fiery encounter that saw a penalty overturned by VAR. But Arteta’s team showed newfound resilience: Mikel Merino headed an 84th-minute equalizer before Gabriel powered in a corner in the 96th minute to snatch all three points. Liverpool’s slip-up at Crystal Palace the previous day meant the gap to the top was suddenly just two points. It was a victory that reinforced belief within the squad that they could dig out results in the most hostile environments.
Arsenal then embarked on a devastating run of ten consecutive wins in all competitions, including eight straight clean sheets in the league. Momentum peaked in the north London derby in November, when Eze – who had nearly joined Brentford before moving across the capital – delivered a first-half masterclass and completed a hat-trick in a 4-1 demolition of Tottenham. The result opened a six-point lead at the summit, their largest after 12 games in any Premier League campaign. ‘That day we saw the true quality of our attacking options,’ an observer might note. ‘Eze was unplayable, and the team looked unstoppable.’
Manchester City, however, endured a torrid start to 2026, failing to win any of their first four league matches after the new year. Stalemates at Sunderland, Chelsea, and Brighton allowed Arsenal to build a seven-point buffer, despite occasional dropped points themselves. The title appeared to be slipping away from the defending champions. Yet Guardiola’s side is never beaten until mathematically impossible, and they reignited the race with a crucial victory over Arsenal at the Etihad. Haaland’s 65th-minute winner sent shockwaves through the race, but the most significant episode came in the closing stages. Throughout the match, Gabriel and Haaland had engaged in a physical duel, and late on, the Arsenal centre-back lost his composure, thrusting his head forward towards the Norwegian. Haaland, remarkably, held his ground and did not go to ground, an act of restraint that almost certainly saved Gabriel from a red card. Had he been dismissed for violent conduct, Arsenal would have lost their defensive linchpin for three matches at a critical juncture. ‘It was a moment of madness that could have derailed our season,’ one might reflect. ‘Haaland’s discipline was a bizarre twist of fortune for Arsenal.’
City then had the chance to put scoreboard pressure on the Gunners, but a chaotic trip to Everton proved costly. Leading 1-0 through Jeremy Doku just before half-time, City were in control until Marc Guehi’s under-hit backpass in the 68th minute let Thierno Barry equalize. The Toffees, galvanized, scored twice more in a breathless 13-minute spell. Guardiola’s men rallied with two late goals to rescue a 3-3 draw, but the dropped points meant Arsenal retained a clear advantage. With the finish line approaching, any slip from the challengers felt terminal.
The final, nerve-shredding test came away to a West Ham side battling relegation. Arsenal needed a victory to keep City at bay, but they found the Hammers’ resistance difficult to breach. With the game scoreless and tension mounting, West Ham’s Matheus Fernandes broke through on a one-two and found himself six yards out with only David Raya to beat. Fernandes attempted a near-post finish, but Raya instinctively stuck out a right leg to make an astonishing point-blank save. The stop preserved parity, and within minutes, Leandro Trossard lasered a shot into the net to put Arsenal ahead. The Gunners held on amid late pressure to claim three points that all but sealed the title. ‘Raya’s save was the stuff of champions,’ the sentiment would go. ‘Momentum swung on that single act of goalkeeping brilliance.’
When the final whistle confirmed Arsenal as champions, the relief and joy were overwhelming. Arteta’s meticulous rebuild, powered by a summer of heavy spending, had finally delivered. Players like Gyökeres, Zubimendi, and Eze had transformed the team’s ceiling, while veterans like Martinelli and Gabriel provided the defining moments that turned a promising season into a historic one. The 22-year drought was over, and the Gunners had proven they could outlast even the most formidable of rivals. Based on reporting from BBC Sport.
