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Arsenal win Premier League title after Man City slip-up as Gunners end 22-year wait

Manchester City had to beat Bournemouth in order to take the Premier League title race down to the final day, but Pep Guardiola's side have handed Arsenal the trophy with one match to spare

[Arsenal players celebrated winning the title at the club's training ground]

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Arsenal's players celebrated winning the title at their training ground

The wait is finally over. Arsenal have been crowned Premier League champions for the first time in 22 years after Manchester City's 1-1 draw with Bournemouth

City's failure to win at the Vitality Stadium on Tuesday means that Pep Guardiola's men can no longer catch Arsenal when the final round of fixtures takes place this weekend. The Gunners, who've been top of the table for the vast majority of this season, beat Burnley 1-0 on Monday to build a five-point gap between themselves and City.

Kai Havertz's first-half goal made the difference against a Burnley side who've already been relegated. That put the pressure back on City to take all three points from their game in hand at Bournemouth.

The fixture took took 24 hours after the bombshell news broke that Guardiola will be leaving City at the end of the season, despite having one year left on his contract. Eli Junior Kroupi gave Bournemouth the lead in the 39th minute which meant that City needed to score twice.

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The visitors were markedly improved after Guardiola made a triple substitution before the hour mark, giving them fresh attacking impetus through the likes of Rayan Cherki. But Bournemouth defended resolutely until the dying embers, as they have done all season under departing boss Andoni Iraola.

The Cherries knew that a victory would put them within a point of fifth-placed Liverpool going into the final day, dreaming of Champions League football. But after Erling Haaland smashed home an equaliser deep into stoppage time, they'll likely have to settle for the Europa League - still a huge milestone.

For City, however, it was too little too late. Ninety three miles north, Arsenal fans packed out the Tollington Arms pub near the Emirates to watch on, with club legend Ian Wright later joining them at the stadium.

Their celebrations went long into the night after enduring more than two decades of pain. Arsenal's players and staff gathered at the club's training ground to watch City slip up, and they'll now lift the trophy following Sunday's trip to Crystal Palace.

[Arsenal fans celebrate winning the title outside the Emirates Stadium]

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Arsenal fans gathered at the Emirates to celebrate the title win

[Arsenal legend Ian Wright joins in the celebrations outside the Emirates]

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Gunners legend Ian Wright joined them

A group of players were spotted walking past the Emirates at 5am on Wednesday. The likes of Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eze, and Jurrien Timber revelled in their triumph.

After the final whistle on the south coast, Mikel Arteta sent a message to those jubilant supporters: "We made history again together, I cannot be happier and prouder for everybody that is involved in this football club. Let's enjoy the moment."

Arsenal previously won the title in 2004 under legendary manager Arsene Wenger. But Arteta has finally ended the club's long wait after three successive second-placed finishes.

The Gunners began this season with intent, dropping points in just two of their first 10 fixtures. Their solid form continued over the winter before hopes of an historic quadruple quickly evaporated in the spring.

[Declan Rice and his team-mates were still out at 5am]

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Declan Rice and some of his team-mates were still out at 5am

[Bukayo Saka was among the group]

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Bukayo Saka was among the group

Either side of the international break, Arsenal went on a run of two wins from seven games in all competitions, including a damaging 2-1 defeat away to City which blew the title race wide open. But the Gunners responded with four wins in a row while capitalising on City's 3-3 draw at Everton.

Arsenal also reached the Champions League final for only the second time in their history after beating Atletico Madrid 2-1 on aggregate. Arteta's side will face holders Paris Saint-Germain next Saturday in Budapest.

The Spaniard was appointed to replace Unai Emery in December 2019, taking on his first managerial role after working under Guardiola at City. Having lifted the FA Cup in Arteta's first season during the pandemic, the league title also ends Arsenal's six-year wait for a trophy.

City, on the other hand, will finish what's expected to be Guardiola's 10th and final season at the helm with two trophies. His team won the FA Cup on Saturday, having previously beaten Arsenal in March's Carabao Cup final.

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