Mikel Arteta has described winning the Premier League title with Arsenal FC as an emotional milestone he had “never felt before”, after finally ending the club’s 22-year wait for the league crown.
Arsenal’s triumph marks a historic breakthrough for the Gunners, who officially sealed the title with a match to spare, finishing ahead of Manchester City after years of near misses under Arteta.
The Spanish coach has come agonisingly close in previous seasons, guiding Arsenal through a sustained period of title contention:
- In the 2022–23 season, Arsenal led the Premier League for 248 days but eventually finished five points behind Manchester City after a late-season collapse.
- In 2023–24, they pushed the race to the final day, setting a club-record 89 points, but still ended two points behind City.
- In 2024–25, they again finished runners-up, this time behind Liverpool after fading in the closing stages of the campaign.
This time, however, there was no heartbreak.
Speaking after the title win, Arteta admitted the emotional impact of finally getting over the line.
“It changes because the level of emotion you feel, it’s something I have never felt before,” he said. “As a manager, it’s been incredible. The last 48 hours have been so much fun.”
Despite the celebrations, the Arsenal boss stressed that the focus must quickly shift to what comes next, with the Champions League now the next major target for the newly crowned English champions.
“We had 48 hours to enjoy the success of winning the league,” he added. “Tomorrow and Saturday we’re going to prepare really well – to lift ourselves and be in the best possible standards to compete on Sunday.”
Arteta also confirmed that the squad will be given time to celebrate properly with supporters before attention turns back to football.
“We will have a window to celebrate and lift the trophy and connect with the people we have constantly around us,” he said. “Then we have six days to write new history in this football club.”
Arsenal’s title win is widely seen as the culmination of Arteta’s long-term rebuild project, turning the club from contenders into champions after years of incremental progress and painful near misses.
