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Over two decades of pain, near-misses and ridicule later, Arsenal are finally Premier League champions again.
Time to build a dynasty.
The last time Arsenal won the English Premier League, I was 14 years old, excited by the future of the football club from London, hoping to make history and win plenty of other trophies for years to come. Little did we know that the club and its fans will have to wait 22 years to see Arsenal become the PL champions once again, and this will be achieved by one of less-heralded players from the yesteryears of the club.
Mikel Arteta joined Arsenal after the debacle 8-2 embarrassing defeat to Manchester United, which forced the club to go for a panic shopping, that included two of the influential signings for Arsene Wenger, Arteta and the tall German defender, Per Mertasacker. Fast-forward to May 2026, and these two have played a pivotal role in getting the club back to the pinnacle of European football.
The Anguish Was Real
Wenger has been credited for changing the face of the structure of football in England, but his trophy cabinet is FA Cup-heavy and only three PL titles, which does include the unprecedented ‘Invincibles’ golden trophy. But many felt that Wenger, the legendary manager, overstayed at the club, to a point that the toxicity was hard to avoid, and the supporters were publicly seeking a fresh change at the helm.
All this was compounded by the lack of grit and mettle from the teams playing for over 20 years without ever crossing the finishing line. Even Leicester City was able to win the League in one of the most shocking 2015-16 seasons, where Arsenal ended 10 points behind the leaders. Unai Emery came in to change the narrative around the club and promised a lot, but didn’t get through his usual growth chart at the club, which was languishing with average players and a dressing room that had split up big time.
Working For The Change
Meanwhile, Arteta, over at Manchester City, under Pep Guardiola was working through his coaching badges and training, laying the groundwork for what has proven to be his first big achievement in a management career till date. He signs for Arsenal as the head coach and eventually given the Manager title, wins the FA Cup in the same season of 2020, and shows the need to follow the Process which will take the club back to its glory days.
The Rebuild Begins
He sets up the team in his image, with focus on defensive solidity, midfield control and attacking finesse. All these translate into a solid output with the club delivering not one but three second-place finishes, which gets him the ‘Always the bridesmaid’ tag.
But things go awry when the club misses out on the title by just two points, even after having a strong lead and going on a near-unbeaten run. City are the eventual winners, and Arsenal are burdened by the ever-growing bottlers tag. Nobody remembers the runners up, but in this case, everyone wanted to make sure the club and its fans never did.
Breaking The Drought
Which is why 2026 is a big year, as Arsenal, the PL champions, heading into their first Champions League final in 20 years, are on cusp of a special season becoming historic. The title was not won without its share of drama and shocks. The club played against its usual ethos of free-flowing football but the added steel and physicality meant the team was never outmuscled or given a battering. The control, the discipline and the efforts of 7+ years of Arteta and his coaching staff and the owners sitting in the board room, have delivered this title.
Can the club rewrite the history and make this title count for something bigger than just a footnote and build a dynasty? We can’t wait to see how this team evolves and finally lives out of the bottler’s shadow as the champions.
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