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Arsenal’s decades-long wait is finally over.
The north London-based football club officially ended on Tuesday their 22-year drought as Premier League champions, after title-contenders Manchester City drew 1-1 with Bournemouth, ending their title-run mathematically.
The gunners are set to lift the trophy, their 14th English top flight league title, after their last matchday against city rivals Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on 24 May, their first since their 2004-2005 campaign.
“I told you all.. it’s done,” Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice posted on social media with a photo of he and his teammates celebrating.
The result put an end to what might be Pep Guardiola’s final title challenge with City after the decorated manager didn’t dismiss reports he was set to leave the club at the end of the season.
Manchester City, the most successful and decorated Premier League side of the last decade, needed to win at Bournemouth to take the title race down to the final game of the campaign on Sunday, but the draw left Arsenal with an unassailable four-point lead at the top, ending its 22-year wait for the title.
Arsenal fans celebrated wildly outside its Emirates Stadium, setting off flares and partying in the street. There were celebrations at the club’s training ground, too, where the players had gathered to watch the match.
Fans chanted their club’s slogans, held placards showing faith their team would also clinch the Champions League title, where the Gunners are set to face off against defending champions Paris Saint German on 30 May in Budapest, and held posters of their former player and current manager Mikel Arteta, who has been leading the club since 2019.
Arteta’s players now stand alongside club icons Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Ian Wright, who previously reached the summit of English football.
The moment is a sigh of relief for many Arsenal fans, who for the last three consecutive years finished second in the league, twice behind Manchester City and once behind Liverpool after having lost their top of the table positions in all three towards the end of the campaign.
Manchester City threatened to repeat the storyline of the last three seasons after chipping away at Arsenal’s seven point lead from early April, bringing the points tally level after beating the north London side 2-1 at the Etihad on the 19th of April.
But the fans, players and coaching staff refused to lose hope and expressed confidence in their ability to deliver the long anticipated title. City drew twice since their Arsenal clash, once against Everton and to Bournemouth on Tuesday, making Arsenal, who have won all their games since, a four point lead.
Arsenal’s last champion was the so-called “Invincibles” team of 2004, which went an entire campaign without losing in the league.
Since then it has seen Chelsea, Manchester United, City, Leicester and Liverpool all take the title. This is the first time since 2017 that a team other than City or Liverpool has not been crowned champion.
It is Arsenal’s 14th title and Arteta will hope it will usher in a new era of dominance, dethroning Guardiola, who he was formerly assistant to at City.
Additional sources • AP