Key facts on Arsenal’s historic season ahead of EPL finale and coronation
By Luke Oluoch, May 24, 2026A massive day of celebration and history awaits the red half of North London as the Gunners angle for their final trip of the English Premier League campaign this Sunday, May 24, 2026.
Mikel Arteta’s lads will get their hands on the trophy at Selhurst Park at full-time, allowing the supporters to cherish the moment they have waited 22 long years for.
Captain Martin Ødegaard will follow in Frenchman Patrick Vieira’s footsteps by becoming the next Gunners captain to lift the silverware.
By lifting the Premier League trophy, the Gunners will be doing more than celebrating a single season’s triumph; they will also be breaking historical droughts and rewriting the record books after enduring years of trolling and name-calling that made them the brunt of rival fans’ jokes.
Here are some facts and historical context about the club and their dream Premier League title:
1. Breaking the 22-year drought
This triumph is Arsenal’s 14th top-flight English championship, but crucially, it is their first Premier League trophy in 22 years. The last time Arsenal won the league was during the legendary 2003/04 Invincibles campaign under Arsène Wenger.
Vieira was the team skipper in a star-studded team that also included Thierry Henry, Sylvain Wiltord, David Seaman, and Dennis Bergkamp, among others.
2. Mikel Arteta’s historic milestone
By guiding the team to the title, Mikel Arteta becomes the first Arsenal manager to win the Premier League since Arsène Wenger.
At 44 years old, Arteta also cements his place in history as the second-youngest manager ever to win the Premier League, trailing only José Mourinho (who was 42 when he won it with Chelsea in 2005).
3. Ending the runners-up curse
What makes the league triumph memorable is that the victory ranks as the ultimate redemption arc for the club. Arsenal finished as Premier League runners-up for three consecutive seasons leading up to this campaign (losing out twice to Manchester City and once to Liverpool). They are the first team in modern Premier League history to endure three straight second-place finishes and successfully bounce back to win the crown on the fourth attempt.
4. Arsenal’s defensive stalwartness
The 2025/26 campaign marked a major departure from Arsenal’s traditional style of free-flowing football. Historically acclaimed for their free-flowing attacking football, this 2025/26 title was won at the back. The defensive duo of Gabriel Magalhães and William Saliba partnered in front of David Raya, earning the plaudits for bringing the title home:
- The Golden Glove: Goalkeeper David Raya secured the Premier League Golden Glove for the third consecutive season.
- Clean Sheets: The defensive partnership of William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães anchored a backline that kept 19 clean sheets over the course of the campaign—the highest in the league.
5. All-time English rankings
With this 14th league title, Arsenal firmly solidifies its status as the third most successful club in English football history, trailing only Manchester United (20 titles) and Liverpool (19 titles).
A century at the top:
This historic title coincides with a remarkable milestone: the 2025/26 campaign marks Arsenal’s 100th consecutive season in the top flight of English football, an all-time record.
Premier League timelines
In terms of great moments in the club’s modern history, this season will join other standout campaigns. These include:
- The 1997/98 title, which secured the first trophy under Arsène Wenger.
- The Old Trafford Coronation of 2001/02, when Arsenal secured the title in style by defeating Manchester United 1-0 directly at Old Trafford, completing another historic double.
- The Invincibles run of 2003/04, when the club remarkably went an entire 38-game Premier League campaign undefeated (26 wins, 12 draws).
- The Arteta-driven revolution of 2025/26, which saw a young squad break Manchester City’s dominance, securing the title with a game to spare after leading the table for 200 days.