Dare Babalola
Mikel Arteta admitted he experienced moments of self-doubt during Arsenal F.C.’s long-awaited Premier League title charge as the North London club ended a 22-year wait for the trophy with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace F.C. on the final day of the season.
Arteta’s side sealed the 2025/26 Premier League crown at Selhurst Park on Sunday thanks to goals from Gabriel Jesus and Noni Madueke, capping off a gruelling campaign that finally saw Arsenal emerge as champions after three consecutive runner-up finishes.
The emotional triumph marked Arsenal’s first league title since the famous 2003/04 “Invincibles” season and completed a remarkable transformation under Arteta, who took charge of the club in 2019 during one of its most unstable periods in recent history.
Speaking after lifting the Premier League trophy, Arteta revealed that despite guiding Arsenal back among England’s elite, he sometimes questioned whether he was capable of taking the team over the final hurdle.
“There are doubts,” Arteta told Sky Sports after the title celebrations. “You think maybe I’ve taken the team this far and perhaps somebody else has to finish the job. But thankfully we stayed together, kept believing and achieved it.”
The Spaniard credited the club’s unity, resilience and mentality for surviving the intense pressure of a fiercely competitive Premier League campaign.
“I think we showed incredible courage and commitment throughout the season,” he said. “Everything around us fuelled the desire to keep fighting. Sometimes there are things outside your control, but you need the right people around you to keep pushing you forward.”
Arteta was visibly emotional during the post-match celebrations as Arsenal players lifted him into the air in front of jubilant travelling supporters before captain Martin Ødegaard hoisted the Premier League trophy amid fireworks and red smoke at Selhurst Park.
The victory over Crystal Palace was hard-earned. Gabriel Jesus finally broke the deadlock in the 42nd minute after previously striking the post and missing an earlier opportunity, while Madueke doubled Arsenal’s lead shortly after halftime following sustained pressure from the visitors.
Crystal Palace mounted a late fightback and thought they had equalised in the closing stages, only for the goal to be ruled out for offside, allowing Arsenal to hold on and secure the title.
Arteta’s triumph comes after years of criticism and growing pressure from supporters frustrated by Arsenal’s inability to convert strong league campaigns into silverware. Since narrowly missing out on the title in previous seasons, the former Arsenal midfielder had repeatedly insisted his team were close to becoming champions.
This season, however, Arsenal combined defensive solidity, mental toughness and attacking efficiency to finally dethrone their rivals and reclaim English football’s biggest prize.
Several players played pivotal roles in the title-winning campaign, including Declan Rice, whose commanding midfield displays justified his big-money transfer, alongside Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz, William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães.
Supporters celebrated wildly after the final whistle, singing “North London Forever” with the players as Arsenal finally ended more than two decades of waiting to return to the summit of English football.
For Arteta, the title represents the biggest achievement of his managerial career so far and a defining moment in Arsenal’s modern history.
