The cheers of Arsenal fans echoed throughout North London when the final whistle at Vitality Stadium sounded. Manchester City could not complete the comeback against Bournemouth and that meant Arsenal officially won the Premier League for the first time in 22 years.
Coach Pep Guardiola did not have a fairytale ending in his last season at Etihad. Man City only won the FA Cup and Carabao Cup, ending a glorious decade with a total of 20 titles under the Spanish strategist. But the most important cup belonged to Mikel Arteta's Arsenal.
This is a breathtakingly long race, where the two teams continuously chase each other with each point. However, at the decisive moment, Arsenal showed the bravery of a true champion. Even when Man City defeated Arsenal at the Etihad last month to take the top spot, Arteta's army still stood up strongly to create the final breakthrough.
While The Gunners were anxiously watching the match at Bournemouth, the home team played as if they were the championship contenders. Bournemouth pressed fiercely, full of energy and completely overwhelmed Man City for most of the match.
Alex Scott is the brightest star on the field. The young English midfielder controlled the tempo of the match impressively and he initiated the opening situation in the 39th minute. Marcus Tavernier coordinated with Adrien Truffert before Junior Kroupi launched a dangerous shot into the top corner, defeating City's defense.
Kroupi - Arsenal's transfer target - became a hero at the Emirates. Man City rose up strongly in the second half when Guardiola launched a series of attacking cards such as Phil Foden, Savinho, Omar Marmoush and Rayan Cherki on the field. But everything stopped at the level of effort.
Erling Haaland scored the equalizer in injury time after Rodri's shot hit the post, but it was just a consolation goal. City did not have enough time to save the championship race.
In fact, signs of losing momentum for The Citizens have appeared for many weeks. The dense schedule with 3 matches in 7 days has made Guardiola's squad no longer maintain its familiar intensity. Bournemouth has taken full advantage of this to create one of the best performances of the season.
After the final whistle, Guardiola went to the stands to thank the fans in a distraught mood. City players stood silently on the field, understanding that their reign was finally overthrown. And the team that did it was Arsenal.
Arteta once suffered countless doubts after many consecutive seasons of second place. But this time, Arsenal did not succumb at the decisive moment. They overcame pressure, surpassed Man City and ended the title drought that lasted for more than two decades.
Defeating Guardiola and Man City has never been an easy task. Therefore, this championship further affirms Arsenal's value in the new era.
They played an extraordinary season. On behalf of Man City, I send my best wishes to the coaching staff, players and fans of Arsenal. They are completely worthy of this title.
I really wanted the race to last until the last minute, but today, the players have clearly shown fatigue. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose at the last moment. It must be admitted that the opponent is really strong and very difficult to play" - Guardiola admitted.
