Home ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE EPL No More Runners-Up: Arsenal Finally Get Over the Line

No More Runners-Up: Arsenal Finally Get Over the Line

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No More Runners-Up: Arsenal Finally Get Over the Line
22 years later, Arsenal are Champions again

From heartbreak to history. After finishing second three years in a row, the Gunners went one better. This was a title won through toil, resilience, and belief.


It wasn’t pretty. It wasn’t easy. But Arsenal held their nerve through months of pressure to win the Premier League. A triumph built on years of coming close...


Arsenal have finally won the league. It is a sentence supporters have waited to hear since their last Premier League triumph in 2003-2004. After years of near misses and three straight seasons finishing second, the Gunners have lifted the trophy they have chased for so long. It was a tough campaign, and Arsenal fans have likely aged a few years in the last few months.


Mikel Arteta has been at the club for nearly six and a half years. In that time he has built a combative side that won the title through resilience, willpower, a strong defence, and set-piece strength. The football was not always pretty, but that did not matter in the end.


Arsenal hit plenty of bumps along the way as they navigated a difficult season. Some wins mattered far more than others.




So which results proved most important on their path to the Premier League title?


Arsenal Strike First at Old Trafford

All eyes were on Old Trafford as Manchester United hosted Arsenal on the opening day of the season. Arsenal gave an early sign of what was to come for the rest of the campaign.


The only goal came early from one of Arsenal’s main sources, a corner. Riccardo Calafiori headed home from close range after Altay Bayindir struggled under pressure.


United controlled much of the game with 22 shots to Arsenal’s nine. Still, Arteta’s side looked calm and confident throughout. David Raya was outstanding in goal and the defence stayed solid, as they have all season.


It was a typical Arsenal performance and result. They have won eight games 1-0 in the Premier League this season. Only in 1998-1999 did they do it more, with nine such wins. Arsenal have also scored from a set-piece in 19 of their 37 league games, not including penalties.


Start as you mean to go on.



Arsenal Bounce Back With Win at St James' Park

After a 1-1 draw at home to Manchester City, Arteta faced questions for playing it too safe with his team selection. Arsenal then faced a tough trip to Newcastle, a ground where they have often struggled.


Arteta had been using Declan Rice, Mikel Merino and Martin Zubimendi in a solid but defensive midfield that lacked creativity. Against Newcastle he brought £60 million signing Eberechi Eze into the side to add some attacking spark.


Arsenal responded with a strong display and played free-flowing attacking football even after going 1-0 down in the 30th minute to a Nick Woltemade goal.

 
They dominated the second half, holding 73% possession and having 11 shots to Newcastle’s four as they pushed for a winner.


Arsenal scored two late goals from set-pieces. The first came from a Declan Rice cross that substitute Mikel Merino headed home cleverly. Centre back Gabriel Magalhaes then rose above everyone in the 96th minute and powered home another header to seal a brilliant win at St James’ Park.


It felt like Arsenal’s first real statement victory of the season and quietened some of the criticism, even if only for a short time.


Arsenal Hit Villa for Four at the Emirates

A few weeks after losing late at Aston Villa, Arsenal went into the new year top of the table. Villa were the opponents again, this time at the Emirates Stadium.


It was rare for Arsenal to play without midfield powerhouse Declan Rice, so there were questions about how they would handle a Villa side in such good form.


After a tight first half, the Gunners took control after the break once Amadou Onana went off injured. Gabriel opened the scoring from another corner, and goals from Martin Zubimendi, Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Jesus broke Villa down in a dominant second-half display.


Arsenal Silence Doubts With Dominant Win at Leeds

After draws against Liverpool and Nottingham Forest, plus a home defeat to Manchester United, pressure on Arsenal was building fast. The 'bottlers' label was coming up again, with many expecting them to fall away.


A trip to Elland Road to face a resurgent Leeds side looked like a tough test for a team that looked shaky. It turned out to be anything but.


Martin Zubimendi, Noni Madueke, Viktor Gyokeres and Gabriel Jesus all scored in a convincing 4-0 win that steadied Arsenal and got their title charge back on track. It was also Madueke’s first Premier League goal for the club, and he scored it directly from a corner.



Arsenal Dominate North London Derby at Spurs

Going into a crucial North London derby at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Spurs sensed an opportunity. Arsenal had just let a two-goal lead slip to draw against bottom-placed Wolves, and Manchester City were piling on the pressure.


Led by Eberechi Eze, who scored a hat-trick in the reverse fixture at the Emirates, Arsenal took control. The England international scored twice at the ground he nearly joined in the summer. Under-pressure striker Viktor Gyokeres also got two goals.


It was a huge boost for morale and momentum. Arsenal claimed the bragging rights in style, with an 8-2 aggregate score against Spurs across the two league meetings this season.



Arsenal See Off Everton Thanks to Late Breakthrough

Manchester City had just dropped points to Nottingham Forest, giving Arsenal some breathing space at the top. It was important for the Gunners to keep pushing. Everton, strong away from home all season, came to the Emirates in what looked like a tricky fixture.


Arsenal played well for long spells but could not break down a stubborn Everton defence. That changed when 16-year-old Max Dowman came on.


Dowman is a special talent who is highly rated by Arteta and everyone at Arsenal. The manager showed full faith in the teenager to make a difference off the bench.


Dowman made an instant impact, giving Arsenal more threat in the final third. With two minutes left in normal time, his cross was missed by Jordan Pickford, allowing Viktor Gyokeres to tap home.


In added time, Dowman sealed the win with a fairytale moment. He carried the ball from inside his own half and slotted into an empty net after Pickford had gone up for a corner. At 16 years and 73 days, he became the youngest goalscorer in Premier League history. It was another remarkable chapter in a remarkable season for the Gunners.


It was a tense game for Arsenal and their fans, and it was far from convincing. But it did not need to be. They showed the resilience and fighting spirit they had displayed all season, keeping another clean sheet and securing a 1-0 win.


Three points were all that mattered. Arsenal got back on track and moved forward in the title race.




Back on the Ropes, Fighting to Stay In It — Arsenal 1-0 Newcastle (Matchday 34)  

After losing to Manchester City at the Etihad, Arsenal dropped to second place for the first time in months. City led on goal difference, and the pressure shifted. For the first time in a while, Arsenal were chasing.


The message was simple. Arsenal had to show they would not collapse. They had to prove they could take a hit and respond. Against Newcastle, only a win would do.


The breakthrough came in the 9th minute. Eberechi Eze scored from a short corner routine, striking a brilliant long-range effort that left the keeper with no chance. It was the only goal Arsenal needed.


It was a tense, uncomfortable night for everyone connected to Arsenal. The performance was not flashy, but it did not need to be. The team showed the resilience and fight they had displayed all season, holding firm for another clean sheet and another 1-0 win.


In the end, only the result mattered. Three points, and Arsenal climbed back into the title fight.





Arsenal Hold Nerve to Beat West Ham in Tense London Derby

Before kickoff, this game carried huge weight at both ends of the table. Arsenal had regained control of the title race, and a trip to West Ham, who were fighting relegation, meant a lot was on the line.


The match was tight throughout, and as time went on, the tension inside the London Stadium kept building.


Late on, West Ham midfielder Matheus Fernandes had a big chance to put his side ahead. David Raya stood tall and made a crucial save to deny what looked like a certain goal.


In the 83rd minute, Arsenal went ahead through Leandro Trossard, who finished calmly after good work from Martin Odegaard.


There was more drama late on when West Ham thought they had equalized through Callum Wilson. The goal was ruled out after a lengthy VAR check for a foul on David Raya. It was arguably the most consequential VAR decision in Premier League history.


Arsenal won 1-0 again. This felt like it could be the decisive moment in the title race.
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