Arsenal were crowned Premier League champions on Tuesday night after Bournemouth held Manchester City to a dramatic 1-1 draw at the Vitality Stadium, ending the Gunners’ 22-year wait for the English top-flight title.
Mikel Arteta’s side secured the title after City failed to win a must-win encounter needed to keep the race alive until the final day of the season.
The result marks Arsenal’s first Premier League triumph since the famous “Invincibles” season of 2003/2004 and also ends a six-year wait for major silverware for the North London club.
Arsenal had moved to the brink of the title on Monday with a narrow 1-0 victory over already relegated Burnley, stretching their lead over City to five points.
After finishing runners-up in each of the last three seasons, Arteta’s men finally crossed the finish line following an impressive late-season resurgence.
The Gunners recovered strongly from last month’s defeat to City by winning four consecutive league matches without conceding a goal.
Manchester City entered Tuesday’s clash under intense pressure and amid growing uncertainty surrounding manager Pep Guardiola, who is reportedly set to leave the club at the end of the season after a decade in charge.
City had only 48 hours earlier completed a domestic cup double after defeating Chelsea FC in the FA Cup final, securing the 20th trophy of Guardiola’s glittering reign at the Etihad.
However, fatigue and inconsistency appeared to catch up with the champions against a highly motivated Bournemouth side chasing European qualification.
The Cherries extended their unbeaten league run to 17 matches and guaranteed themselves European football for the first time in the club’s history.
As things stand, Bournemouth are set to qualify for the Europa League after ensuring they cannot finish lower than seventh on the table.
The home side took the lead in the 39th minute through teenage sensation Eli Junior Kroupi, who curled a superb effort into the top corner to set a new Premier League record of 13 goals in a debut season for a teenager.
City struggled to respond despite dominating possession, with Nico O’Reilly wasting a golden opportunity shortly after the restart when his effort was saved by goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic.
Guardiola watched anxiously from the touchline as City’s hopes of retaining the title faded away.
The visitors had briefly threatened through Antoine Semenyo, but his effort was ruled out for offside in one of City’s few bright moments in a disappointing first half.
Bournemouth continued to create the better chances and were unlucky not to increase their lead after both Rayan and David Brooks struck the woodwork in the closing stages.
Although Erling Haaland grabbed a stoppage-time equaliser for City, the goal came too late to rescue their title ambitions.
The result confirmed Arsenal as champions before the final round of fixtures, sparking celebrations among Gunners supporters around the world.
For Guardiola, the campaign is set to end on a disappointing note, with City failing to win the Premier League title for a second consecutive season — the first such occurrence in his managerial career.
Meanwhile, Bournemouth’s remarkable campaign under Andoni Iraola continues to gather momentum, with the club now dreaming of a possible place in next season’s UEFA Champions League.
