The Emirates Stadium clock read 4:57am when Bukayo Saka, still wearing his medal over a champagne-stained training top, finally addressed the 8,000 supporters who had refused to leave. “Twenty-two years,” he shouted into the microphone. “Twenty-two years we made you wait.” The roar that followed rattled the empty corporate boxes and carried across Highbury, where a separate crowd had gathered outside the old marble entrance on Avenell Road.
Arsenal’s 2-1 victory over Newcastle United on Tuesday evening, sealed by Martin Odegaard’s 87th-minute curling finish from the edge of the box, ended the longest title drought in the club’s modern history. The Invincibles of 2003-04 were the last Arsenal side to lift the Premier League trophy. Mikel Arteta’s team, who finished on 89 points — four clear of Manchester City — have ensured that statistic is finally retired.
A night that refused to end
The official celebrations were supposed to wrap by 1am. Instead, players returned to the pitch shortly after 3am, having moved from the home dressing room to a private function in the Diamond Club and back again. Declan Rice, signed for £105m in 2023 specifically to anchor a title push, led a rendition of “North London Forever” from the centre circle. Gabriel Martinelli was filmed asleep on the touchline bench at 4:15am, still cradling the trophy.
Arteta, who joined as manager in December 2019 with the club eighth in the table, addressed his squad on the pitch as dawn approached. According to club staff present, he reminded them that 14 of the matchday squad were not born when Arsenal last won the league. “He told them this was their championship, not a continuation of anyone else’s,” one source said. “He wanted that line drawn clearly.”
Stan Kroenke, the American owner whose tenure has been marked by sustained fan protests as recently as 2021, watched the early hours of celebration from the directors’ box. He did not appear on the pitch.
How the drought ended
The title was built on the league’s meanest defence — 28 goals conceded across 38 matches — and a midfield that controlled possession in 24 of those games. William Saliba played all but 90 minutes of league football. Rice contributed seven goals and nine assists from a deeper role than he occupied at West Ham. Kai Havertz, written off as a £65m mistake after a difficult first season, scored 16 league goals as a converted centre-forward.
Three near-misses preceded this title:
- 2022-23: led the table for 248 days before collapsing to second behind Manchester City
- 2023-24: finished second on 89 points, two adrift of City
- 2024-25: third place, hampered by long-term injuries to Saka and Odegaard
The decisive period this season came across February and March, when Arsenal won 10 consecutive league fixtures while City stumbled to four draws. Saka’s return to fitness in January, after five months out with a hamstring tear, coincided with the run. He finished the campaign with 12 goals and 11 assists across 24 league appearances.
What comes next
The trophy parade is scheduled for Sunday, with the route running from Islington Town Hall along Upper Street and through Highbury Corner to the Emirates. Transport for London has warned of severe disruption across the Victoria line.
On the pitch, Arteta’s focus will turn quickly to the Champions League, where Arsenal exited at the quarter-final stage in April. Real Madrid have already expressed interest in Saliba, though the defender signed a contract extension in November that runs to 2030. The bigger question concerns Odegaard, whose deal expires in 2027 and who has not yet opened formal negotiations on new terms.
Arteta will also need to manage the squad’s age profile. Thomas Partey, 32, is out of contract. Jorginho, 34, has been offered a one-year extension as a coaching apprentice. Reinforcements at striker remain the priority despite Havertz’s improvement, with the club having scouted Benjamin Sesko and Viktor Gyokeres throughout the spring.
For one morning, those questions could wait. At 5:42am, with the sun rising over the East Stand, Odegaard finally lifted the trophy a second time — alone, for the photographers — before the squad began the slow walk back down the tunnel. The grass was scarred with stud marks, champagne, and confetti. None of it will be cleaned up before Sunday.
Sports journalist and editor at SportsPortal.net. Covers cricket, football, Formula 1, tennis, and basketball with a focus on how global sports connect with Pakistani audiences. Follows the PSL, Pakistan national cricket team, Premier League, and major international tournaments. Has reported on sports for digital audiences since 2021.
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