A year ago, after a hard-fought victory over Newcastle in the last home match of the season, coach Mikel Arteta stood in the middle of the Emirates stadium and sent a message full of determination.
We must make our own history. There will be many great things ahead. I believe in the aspirations, qualities and talent of this collective" - Arteta said.
At that time, many Arsenal fans were skeptical. The team had just gone through their third consecutive season finishing second in the Premier League, and the disappointment at Manchester City was still too great. But this time, Arteta did not just talk.
A year later, Arsenal finally returned to the throne of England after 22 years of waiting. This is the result of more than 6 and a half years of Arteta's rebuilding. When taking over Arsenal at the end of 2019, he received back a club chaotic both professionally and mentally. The squad was unbalanced, the trust from fans declined and the team's standards clearly declined.
Under Arteta, Arsenal gradually changed completely. From a team considered fragile and vulnerable, they became a team with high competitiveness and great bravery - something that Pep Guardiola himself admitted when calling Arsenal one of the most difficult opponents he had ever faced.
This season continues to be a tough challenge for Arsenal. As Man City accelerates after the new year, many people worry that the old scenario will be repeated. The defeat at the Etihad in April once made many fans believe that the championship race was over. But Arsenal did not succumb.
That spirit is most clearly shown through Declan Rice. After the defeat against Man City, the English midfielder still affirmed to his teammates that "it's not over yet". Rice himself later became the leader in midfield, helping Arsenal overcome the most difficult period of the season.
This championship is the pinnacle of the Arteta project - a journey upwards step by step from eighth, fifth, then runner-up before reaching the Premier League title.
This is not only a victory of tactics or squad quality, but also a success of perseverance and belief. Of course, Arteta cannot do it alone. The players have fought to the limit in a season of 63 matches. The club's leadership also plays an important role with continuous investment and backing behind the scenes.
The only thing Arsenal regretted was probably that this success could have come sooner. In the 2023-2024 season, they won 89 points - the second highest achievement in club history - and broke the Premier League scoring record with 91 goals. Many statistics at that time showed that The Gunners were actually the best team in the league.
Consecutive losses of breath make the pressure increasing. Meanwhile, continuous injuries make Arteta rarely have the strongest squad in hand. The trio Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz - who contributed a total of 63 goals and assists last season - are almost no longer playing together for a long time.
Notably, the match against Burnley was the first time the three of them started together after nearly a year and a half. Saka and Havertz combined to create a decisive goal to help Arsenal get closer to the championship. And that makes this success even more meaningful.
