May 21, 2026, 2:25 p.m. ET
After 22 years, Arsenal can finally call itself Premier League champion again.
Arsenal claimed the crown after Manchester City drew with Bournemouth 1-1 on May 19. The day before, the Gunners beat Burnley 1-0. Those results combined gave Arsenal an insurmountable four-point lead over City with one game left.
The club’s last title came in 2003-04, when manager Arsene Wenger’s “Invincibles” went unbeaten with 26 wins and 12 draws.
The 22-year gap between 2004 and 2026 is the longest in Arsenal’s history since it won its first title in 1931. That beats out a pair of 18-year spells (1952-53 to 1970-71 and 1970-71 to 1988-89).
Since 2004, Arsenal has finished second in the Premier League five times, including three times in the past three seasons.
Those also-ran seasons perhaps made this drought even harder for fans of the North London club. Across the two previous long gaps of 18 years, Arsenal finished second once and third twice.
This latest championship is the 14th top-flight title in the club’s history. Arsenal previously won a cluster of five in the 1930s, and then three around the turn of the century. The rest were spaced throughout the 20th century.
Of course, it’s worth noting that the club joined the Football League in Division 2 for the 1893-94 season. From the end of that season, it took 37 years for Arsenal to win the First Division at the end of the 1931 season. That early dry spell included 20 seasons in England’s top-flight.
However, since the Gunners climbed to the top of English soccer in 1931, they’ve never experienced a wait quite like this. For now, though, Arsenal is on top of the English soccer mountain once again.
Methodology: Arsenal’s title history is based on FBref’s stats and history page for the club.
