Manchester City needed to win its last two games and hope Crystal Palace beat or tie Arsenal to deny the Gunners the Premier League title. Their late rally only got them a 1-1 draw against Bournemouth AFC and handed Arsenal their first league championship in 22 years.
A goal by Erling Haaland in the 94th minute equalized for Manchester City, who will see longtime manager Pep Guardiola
exit after the season. But Man City ran out of time and Arsenal clinched with a four-point lead with one game left.
Mikel Arteta and Arsenal finally get another trophy
Mikel Arteta had finished second in the Premier League for three straight seasons, raising questions about whether the club needed a new manager. This season, Arsenal turned up their defense, allowing just 26 goals in 37 games. In recent games, they’ve struggled to score, but after losing to Man City, 2-1, April 19, Arsenal responded with four straight clean sheets.
That included Monday’s 1-0 win over Burnley, where the home fans had to sweat out a tight win against a side that had already been relegated. Still, one year after the team was derailed by injuries, Arsenal did what it had to, continuing to take three points per match, even if the wins were ugly.
It’s the culmination of a long process for Arteta and Arsenal, who will face PSG in the Champions League final later in May. They’d been an excellent team but hadn’t won any competitions since the 2020 FA Cup in Arteta’s first season. Now their final match at Crystal Palace won’t be a competition as much as a coronation, thanks to a sweet goal from Eli Junior Kroupi.