Arsenal are Premier League champions for the first time in 22 years after Manchester City were held to a 1-1 draw by Bournemouth at Vitality Stadium on Tuesday night, a result that handed Mikel Arteta’s side the title with one game to spare.
The Gunners, who did not play on the night, needed City to drop points to seal the championship, and Bournemouth delivered in spectacular fashion. Junior Kroupi curled a stunning effort into the far corner on 39 minutes, with Adrien Truffert cutting back to the striker on the edge of the box and the forward planting it past Gianluigi Donnarumma, who could only watch it sail by.
City threw everything at Bournemouth in the closing stages, and Erling Haaland equalised deep into stoppage time in the 90th minute, with Rodri hitting the post before the Norwegian hammered the rebound off the opposite post and into the net. But it was too late. The draw left City four points behind Arsenal with only one game remaining, making it mathematically impossible for Pep Guardiola’s side to catch up. 
Arsenal finish the penultimate round of fixtures on 82 points from 37 games, having won 25 of them. City sit second on 78 points.
Bournemouth head coach Andoni Iraola, who is leaving the club at the end of the season, was full of emotion at the final whistle.
“Amazing night. Amazing night. You probably imagine it at the beginning of the season but you don’t imagine it like this. We have a chance to fight for the Champions League until the last game. I think we really deserved it, for all the season and for all the past seasons, and especially for the game today. We played so well, so well. We haven’t won the game but it doesn’t matter,” Iraola said.
“I enjoyed it so much. We were winning 1-0, City were pushing but I was enjoying how we were playing, the personality. OK it’s 1-1, but that’s enough for us. We wanted to win the game, but I’ve enjoyed the three seasons, and today was a very good reflection of the three seasons. I’m very happy, for the players, the club, the supporters, the staff. I think it’s the best way, to finish with something that you can touch that we will enjoy next season. I cannot ask for a lot more.”
The title is Arsenal’s first since the 2003/04 season, when Arsene Wenger’s Invincibles went the entire league campaign unbeaten. It is also the culmination of a painful journey for Arteta, who had steered the Gunners to three consecutive second-place finishes before finally breaking through this term.
Premier League pundit Michael Owen was unequivocal about who deserved it.
“Arsenal deserved it. They’ve been knocking on the door for a while now but they’ve been the best team and they’re worthy champions,” Owen said.
Tim Sherwood agreed, saying: “All that matters is getting over the line. Arsenal have knocked on the door, they’ve been bridesmaids three times previously, but the team that wins the league is always the one that deserves it. By hook or by crook, it doesn’t matter how you do it, it’s about getting over the line and they’ve done that.”
The Bournemouth performance drew widespread praise. Pundit Don Hutchison said of Kroupi’s goal: “That goal is no fluke, Bournemouth have been outstanding tonight. It’s a lovely touch from Kroupi to take it on the back foot and that’s the key, it opens up his body. Donnarumma has absolutely no chance and that’s a top-class finish.”
On Man City’s showing, Hutchison added: “Bournemouth have seemed to have the legs on Man City, all over the pitch. They’re pressing high and quickly, closing down, and it could have been even worse if Evanilson had put his sitter away.”
Joleon Lescott pointed to the bigger picture behind City’s decline, saying: “It’s not solely down to tonight, it’s down to the whole season. When Man City have been good they’ve put teams to bed, they’ve dominated, but they haven’t been able to do that consistently.”
Sherwood had been equally scathing of City’s display in the first half, saying: “Man City have been poor out of possession, which means they’ve been poor in possession. For them to only create two half-chances, for Semenyo and Haaland, they’re so passive out of possession I can’t believe it. They’ve got to get tight, they’re not putting any tackles in and there’s no pressure on the ball. I can’t believe what I’m watching from a Pep Guardiola side.”
Elsewhere on the same night, Chelsea beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 at Stamford Bridge to keep their European hopes alive. Enzo Fernandez opened the scoring with a stunning strike from close to 40 yards, curling the ball into the left corner with Antonin Kinsky left flat-footed. Andrey Santos added a second before Richarlison pulled one back for Spurs late on, but it was not enough. The result leaves Tottenham’s Premier League survival unconfirmed, with West Ham still in danger heading into the final weekend.
Arsenal’s title triumph sets up a remarkable end to the season. The Gunners face Crystal Palace in a dead rubber on the final day before heading to Budapest on May 30 for the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain, where they will bid to complete one of the greatest seasons in the club’s history.
