Arsenal were tonight crowned Premier League champions following Manchester City’s 1-1 draw at Bournemouth.
City’s slip up means Arsenal are four points ahead with just one game to go – against Crystal Palace on Sunday.
Junior Kroupi scored the goal that gave Bournemouth the lead against City in the 39th minute, bending home in sublime fashion to put Arsenal on the brink. City were surprisingly blunt in response and, though Erling Haaland crashed home a stoppage-time equaliser, it was too little, too late for Pep Guardiola’s men.
Mikel Arteta’s side have led the table for much of the season and, although they were overtaken by City in mid-April after a 2-1 defeat at the Etihad that followed on from a home setback against Bournemouth, they have responded superbly with four successive wins and four clean sheets.
The latest victory came last night against Burnley at the Emirates, Kai Havertz nodding in Bukayo Saka’s first-half corner for the only goal of a dour encounter.
Arsenal’s success has been based around a watertight defence, led superbly by Brazil international Gabriel. The victory over the already relegated Clarets was their eighth 1-0 win of the season while the goal marked the 19th game in which they have scored from a set-piece this term (excluding penalties).
Unless they go berserk at Palace at the weekend, they will finish with the lowest number of goals scored for a title-winning team since Leicester City in 2016.
Arsenal rewarded for sticking with Arteta
They may not be the most thrilling champions the Premier League has ever had but their success is a reward for patience and perseverance.
Arteta took over in December 2019 and has come under pressure for failing to win more than a solitary FA Cup success in 2020. Arsenal have finished as runners-up in each of the last three seasons but have now landed their first Premier League title since 2004 when Arsene Wenger’s side, inspired by the brilliance of Thierry Henry, finished 11 points clear of Chelsea.
Wenger never won the Champions League during his time in North London, however, and Arsenal can clinch the European crown for the first time when they take on Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final in Budapest on May 30.
