Arsenal's two-decade drought is finally over. After 22 years without a league championship, Mikel Arteta's side have been crowned Premier League champions, holding off Manchester City to end three consecutive seasons of agonising runner-up finishes.

A summer of serious investment

Watching Liverpool stroll to the title the previous season with their enviable squad depth, Arsenal moved decisively in the transfer window. Eight players arrived, with only out-of-contract midfielder Thomas Partey departing from the first-team ranks.

Sweden striker Viktor Gyokeres led the spending, joining from Sporting for £64 million to give Arsenal the centre-forward supporters had demanded for years. Central midfielder Martin Zubimendi arrived from Real Sociedad, Piero Hincapie came in on loan from Bayer Leverkusen to reinforce the defence, and Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze crossed London from Chelsea and Crystal Palace, respectively.

Total outlay exceeded £250 million. With a title secured and a Champions League final still ahead, the investment has been vindicated.

Martinelli's 93rd-minute rescue act

The season was only five games old when Gabriel Martinelli delivered one of its defining moments. His 93rd-minute equaliser against Manchester City in September — combining with fellow substitute Eze — denied Pep Guardiola's side a statement victory and preserved a three-point swing that ultimately proved decisive in the title race.

City had taken the lead through Erling Haaland and retreated into a back five, confident they could hold Arsenal at bay. They came within minutes of doing so before Eze and Martinelli combined to level things up and expose the value of Arsenal's summer depth.

Gabriel heads Gunners into contention at Newcastle

A week later, Arsenal were celebrating another injury-time winner. Trips to St James' Park had produced three defeats and zero goals in the previous three visits, and when Nick Woltemade put Newcastle ahead — with Arsenal also having a penalty overturned by VAR — the omens looked poor.

Mikel Merino headed Arsenal level in the 84th minute, then Gabriel nodded in from a corner in the 96th to complete an extraordinary turnaround. With Liverpool having slipped up at Crystal Palace the day before, Arsenal were suddenly within two points of the summit.

Eze hat-trick inflicts north London damage on Spurs

After 10 consecutive wins across all competitions — eight of which came without conceding — Arsenal entered the north London derby in November with a chance to move six points clear following City's 2-1 defeat by Newcastle. They seized it emphatically.

Two goals before half-time and a third within seconds of the restart put the result beyond doubt. Richarlison pulled one back for Tottenham Hotspur, but Eze had the final say, completing his first senior hat-trick to establish Arsenal's largest lead after 12 games in Premier League history.

City's miserable start to 2026

Manchester City's fightback over the Christmas period unravelled badly in the new year. Guardiola's side failed to win any of their opening four league fixtures in 2026 — drawing at Sunderland and dropping points at home to Chelsea and Brighton — allowing Arsenal to stretch their advantage to seven points despite a few stumbles of their own. Patrick Dorgu's strike in a Manchester derby defeat at Old Trafford summed up a wretched run for City.

Gabriel's lucky escape at the Etihad

By April the gap had narrowed to six points, with City holding a game in hand. The top-of-the-table clash at the Etihad produced a City win, Haaland scoring the decisive goal 20 minutes into the second half. Yet the most consequential moment came later, when a running battle between Haaland and Gabriel boiled over into the pair pressing foreheads together. Gabriel jerked his head forward — Haaland's decision to remain on his feet likely spared the Arsenal centre-back a red card for violent conduct. Had he been dismissed, he would have missed the next three matches.

Guehi error hands Arsenal a gift at Goodison

City went top on goal difference after victory at Burnley, but Arsenal had games in hand. When City next played — away at Everton — Arsenal were already six points clear. Jeremy Doku put the visitors ahead before half-time and City looked set to cut the gap. Then Marc Guehi's under-hit backpass in the 68th minute gifted Thierno Barry an equaliser for Everton. David Moyes' side scored three in 13 minutes, and although City recovered to draw 3-3 deep in stoppage time, dropping two points handed the initiative straight back to Arsenal.

Raya's save and a VAR lifeline seal the title

A trip to a West Ham side battling relegation represented Arsenal's sternest test among their final three fixtures. The match remained goalless when West Ham midfielder Matheus Fernandes found himself six yards out, one-on-one with David Raya. Fernandes aimed for the near post; Raya thrust out his right leg to make a point-blank save that proved transformative.

Leandro Trossard fired Arsenal ahead in the 83rd minute, but West Ham struck back through Callum Wilson in injury time — or so it seemed. The video assistant referee intervened to disallow the goal, preserving Arsenal's win and, with it, their grip on the title they had chased for so long.