Arsenal FC are Premier League champions for the first time in 22 years. The wait is finally over. On the night of Tuesday, 19 May 2026, Manchester City’s 1-1 draw at home against AFC Bournemouth handed Arsenal the Premier League title, confirming Mikel Arteta’s side as the best team in England for the 2025/26 season.
It is the most significant moment in Arsenal’s recent history, and arguably the most anticipated Premier League title victory of the modern era.
How Arsenal Won the Premier League 2025/26
Arsenal’s title was confirmed mathematically when Manchester City failed to secure all three points against Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium on Tuesday evening, 19 May 2026. The match ended 1-1, a result that ended Manchester City’s hopes of overhauling Arsenal at the top of the Premier League table.
With Arsenal sitting on 82 points and Manchester City stranded on 78 points with only one game remaining, the gap is now mathematically insurmountable. Manchester City cannot catch Arsenal regardless of the final day’s results on 24 May 2026.
Arsenal go into the final day of the season as confirmed Premier League champions, with a game at Crystal Palace still to come, though the result there is now irrelevant to the destination of the title.
Arsenal’s Title-Winning Season by the Numbers
The 2025/26 Premier League campaign has been one of extraordinary consistency from Arsenal. Here is how their title-winning season looks in full:
- Position: 1st
- Points: 82
- Wins: 25
- Draws: 7
- Losses: 5
- Points gap over Manchester City: 4 points
Arsenal’s 25 league wins represent a title-winning campaign built on defensive solidity, clinical attacking play, and a relentless consistency that has defined Mikel Arteta’s project at Emirates Stadium.
The Decisive Night: Bournemouth 1-1 Manchester City
The title was handed to Arsenal when Bournemouth held Manchester City to a 1-1 draw on Tuesday 19 May 2026. For Manchester City, it was a result that ended their Premier League title hopes with one game still to play. For Arsenal fans watching around the world, it was the moment 22 years of waiting finally came to an end.
Arsenal had played their part the night before, beating Burnley 1-0 on Monday 18 May 2026, putting the pressure firmly on Manchester City. When City dropped points the following night, the trophy was confirmed as heading to north London.
Arsenal’s Last Premier League Title: 2003/04
Arsenal’s previous Premier League title was won in the legendary 2003/04 season, the season of the Invincibles, when Arsene Wenger’s side went the entire league campaign unbeaten. That title, won over two decades ago, made the 22-year wait for this moment all the more poignant.
In the years between 2004 and 2026, Arsenal had seen close challenges, near misses, and a period of rebuilding under Mikel Arteta that gradually restored the club to the summit of English football. The 2025/26 season is the culmination of that long rebuild.
Mikel Arteta: The Architect of Arsenal’s Title
Mikel Arteta, who was appointed Arsenal manager in December 2019, has overseen a complete transformation of the club. From the inconsistency of the years immediately following Wenger’s departure, to FA Cup success in 2020, to back-to-back near misses in 2022/23 and 2023/24, Arteta’s project has been one of the most compelling stories in recent Premier League history.
The 2025/26 title is the defining achievement of his managerial career and a validation of the long-term strategy pursued by Arsenal’s ownership and sporting director.
Premier League Table 2025/26: Final Standings (With One Game Remaining)
| Position | Club | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arsenal FC | 82 |
| 2 | Manchester City | 78 |
| 3 | Manchester United | 68 |
| 4 | Aston Villa | 62 |
| 5 | Liverpool FC | 59 |
What This Title Means for Arsenal and English Football
Arsenal’s 2025/26 Premier League title is more than a football result. It signals a genuine shift in the balance of power in English football. For more than a decade, the Premier League title conversation was dominated by Manchester City, Liverpool, and Chelsea. Arsenal’s triumph represents the re-emergence of one of England’s most historic clubs as a genuine, sustained force at the very top of the game.
For a generation of Arsenal supporters who have waited since the era of Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira, and Robert Pires, this is the moment they have been waiting for.
Arsenal are Premier League champions. The wait is over.
