Arsenal Win Premier League Title for First Time in 22 Years as Man City’s Slip Hands Arteta Glory

City stumble, Arsenal crowned

Arsenal are Premier League champions for the first time in 22 years after Manchester City drew 1-1 at Bournemouth on Tuesday night, handing Mikel Arteta’s side an unassailable lead at the top of the table.

The Gunners had done their part over the weekend, grinding out a nervy 1-0 win over Burnley at the Emirates. But the title was mathematically sealed at the Vitality Stadium, where City’s failure to beat Bournemouth meant the points gap could no longer be closed. The final whistle in Bournemouth triggered celebrations across north London — and across Nigeria, where Arsenal’s fanbase is among the biggest in the world.

Ending the drought

Arsenal last won the league in 2003/04 — the legendary Invincibles season under Arsene Wenger, when the club went an entire campaign without losing a single match. In the two decades since, they watched Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, and even Leicester City lift the trophy while they cycled through managers and near-misses.

This title breaks the drought. Arteta, who took over in 2019 as a first-time manager after serving as Pep Guardiola’s assistant at City, has now delivered the one trophy that mattered most — and the one nobody was sure he could win.

“Boats, fire and an AI song,” was how BBC Sport’s Alex Howell described the ingredients of this unlikely triumph — a reference to an eccentric mix of squad-bonding moments and an AI-generated TikTok anthem that became the team’s unofficial soundtrack during the run-in.

Nigerian connection

The celebrations are particularly loud in Nigeria, where Arsenal enjoy one of the largest and most passionate fanbases in global football. Lagos alone has multiple Arsenal supporters’ clubs, and viewing centres across the country were packed for the Burnley and Bournemouth fixtures.

Former Super Eagles star Nwankwo Kanu remains a beloved figure at the Emirates, having been part of the Invincibles squad. The Nigerian connection runs deep — and for a generation of Nigerian fans who grew up watching Wenger’s teams, this title has been a long time coming.

Sources: BBC Sport, Al Jazeera, The Sun