acquired the Premier League trophy because the season got here to an finish on Sunday afternoon in a second that culminated their unbelievable journey beneath Mikel Arteta.
The Gunners had been per week in the past when did not beat , drawing 1-1 on the south coast handy their inter-city rivals their first title in 22 years.
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The Spaniard was appointed as head coach in December 2019 and has taken Arsenal on a journey that has seen them remodel from mid-table dwellers to conquerors of the Premier League.
Arsenal’s journey beneath Mikel Arteta
A successful begin | Marc Atkins/GettyImages
2019/20: The start and FA Cup win
Following the sacking of Unai Emery, Arteta returned to the Gunners to take the recent seat with the membership sitting in tenth within the league on simply 22 factors days earlier than Christmas 2019.
He drew his maiden match 1-1 at Bournemouth earlier than succumbing to a late 2-1 turnaround at dwelling to earlier than selecting up his first win with a 2-0 victory over on New 12 months’s Day.
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That noticed him get pleasure from an unbeaten run on the helm, which ultimately got here to an finish with a shock defeat by the hands of Olympiacos to ship Arsenal crashing out of the Europa League within the spherical of 32.
The COVID-19 pandemic struck quickly after, disrupting the season till it restarted in June. Defeats to Man Metropolis, , and prevented Arteta from main his facet to a European end in his first marketing campaign.
Nevertheless, FA Cup victories over Sheffield United and his former employers Man Metropolis within the quarter-finals and semi-finals respectively noticed the Spaniard ship his facet marching out towards Chelsea within the last.
A brace from captain overturned a deficit set by to win Arsenal a record-extending 14th FA Cup and guarantee Arteta ended his first season with silverware and a route into Europe.
2020/21: A catastrophe 12 months saved by modifications
A horrible first full season | Christopher Lee – UEFA/GettyImages
Off the again of the FA Cup triumph, Gunners followers went into the 2020/21 marketing campaign with full hope that the group may start a return to the place they belong, however they had been very fallacious.
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Arsenal started the season with a penalty shootout victory over league champions to win the Neighborhood Protect earlier than successful their opening matches over and .
Nevertheless, catastrophe quickly struck as a interval of combined kind ended with a 1-0 victory at Man United being their last league win for seven video games and nearly two months. That barren run left Arteta beneath scrutiny together with his group sat fifteenth getting into the Christmas interval with solely 14 factors after 14 video games performed.
Understanding change was wanted, the Spaniard launched to the fold for a must-win Boxing Day encounter with London rivals Chelsea. That call paid off because the Hale Finish graduate helped encourage a 3-1 win over the Blues to kickstart a seven-match unbeaten run.
That interval got here to an finish although with additional inconsistency hanging within the last weeks of the season, main to a different eighth place end, with no European soccer secured after exits from each cup competitors, together with within the Europa League semi-finals to , managed by former supervisor Unai Emery.
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Arteta remained within the job regardless of criticism from followers as there had been slight hints of progress proven amidst the general catastrophe of a season.
2021/22: Again in Europe, however not the place they need to be
Extra constructive indicators proven | Julian Finney/GettyImages
With the total backing of the membership, Arteta went into the 2021/22 season with the purpose of returning Arsenal to European competitors, however that try began terribly.
A gap evening 2-0 loss to Premier League newcomers noticed doubters elevate their voices as soon as once more earlier than devastating defeats to Chelsea and Manchester Metropolis noticed the Gunners backside of the league after three matches with the person within the sizzling seat in deep trouble.
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Modifications to the group, together with the introductions of , helped them bounce again to go on an eight-game unbeaten run till November when it was ended by a 4-0 defeat at Liverpool.
January noticed Arsenal exit each the FA Cup and Carabao Cup within the third spherical and the semi-finals respectively, in addition to Aubameyang departing following a contract termination after beforehand being banished from the squad.
The controversial switch noticed extra followers activate Arteta, however he guided the Gunners to being inside grasp of qualifying for the Champions League, however extra slip-ups within the latter phases of the season noticed them miss out and end fifth behind arch-rivals Tottenham.
2022/23: Shock title challengers
Taking them again to the highest | Dan Mullan/GettyImages
Forward of the 2022/23 season, most anticipated Arsenal’s fundamental purpose to be returning to Europe’s premier competitors, however as an alternative, Arteta oversaw his facet launch a shocking title problem.
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The marketing campaign began with 5 straight wins earlier than a defeat at Man United halted the right begin. Nevertheless, constant successful kind after that slip noticed the Gunners mount a robust lead on the high of the Premier League desk.
A slight stumble in February noticed Man Metropolis briefly knock Arteta’s facet off the highest, however the North Londoners quickly picked up their kind once more, solely to be hindered as soon as extra within the run-in. A run of 4 video games with no win, together with a 3-3 draw at dwelling to backside place Southampton, handed Metropolis the benefit for the closing weeks.
Arsenal continued the battle, however additional losses to Brighton and allowed Pep Guardiola and eventual treble winners Metropolis to assert their first title of three in an historic marketing campaign.
Cup runs weren’t a lot to shout about for the Gunners that 12 months as early exits in each home competitions had been adopted by a spherical of 16 exit by the hands of Sporting within the Europa League.
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It wasn’t to be for the title, however Arteta had received Arsenal again the place they belong as contenders.
2023/24: Agonisingly shut
So near the title | Julian Finney/GettyImages
Along with his facet again within the Champions League for the primary time because the 2016/17 season, Arteta had an enormous job on his fingers as he regarded to handle in Europe’s premier competitors whereas additionally main one other title problem.
Some anticipated the earlier season to have been a fluke with the Gunners quickly restored to being mere contenders for the European spots, however these doubters had been quickly proved fallacious.
Arsenal began the marketing campaign with a penalty shootout victory over Manchester Metropolis to assert one other Neighborhood Protect earlier than having fun with an unbeaten starting to the season, avoiding defeat till November. That run wasn’t with out its slips although as attracts to Fulham, Spurs and Chelsea would go onto hinder them.
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Arteta did handle league victory over Metropolis for the primary time as Gunners boss when struck late on in a 1-0 triumph on the Emirates.
A four-game winless run with three straight defeats and an early FA Cup exit over the Christmas and New 12 months interval prompted the Spaniard to take his facet to Dubai for a heat climate coaching camp throughout the league’s winter break.
That was profitable as a 5-0 victory over marked a return to motion and the start of an eight-game unbeaten run that got here to an finish with a 0-0 draw at Metropolis. The stalemate in Manchester and a 2-0 defeat at dwelling to Aston Villa had been Arsenal’s sole slip-ups of their last 18 league matches, however the near-perfection wasn’t sufficient as they completed two factors behind victors Man Metropolis.
Whereas there was one other unsuccessful try and win the league, Arteta did oversee additional enchancment on the continental entrance as he led the Gunners to the quarter-finals, the place they suffered a slender defeat on combination to .
2024/25: Stricken by inconsistency, accidents and controversy
Not adequate | Stuart MacFarlane/GettyImages
With Jurgen Klopp departing Liverpool and Metropolis very slowly changing into a shadow of their former selves, many tipped the 2024/25 season to be Arsenal’s 12 months to finish the harm, however as soon as once more, these predictions had been very far off.
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An unbeaten begin of their first eight video games ensured the Gunners remained inside an opportunity of going into the season’s halfway interval with their title hopes intact, however inconsistency and controversy received in the best way of that.
Three controversial pink playing cards of their opening 10 matches paved the best way for debates round their self-discipline whereas fixed failure to carry onto leads meant Arsenal by no means actually regarded like they might sustain with shock leaders Liverpool.
Whilst Man Metropolis fell away, succumbing to a 5-1 defeat on the Emirates amongst different poor outcomes, Arne Slot’s facet comfortably ran away from a Gunners group that had been by no means actually adequate to mount a real problem on the summit.
Arsenal completed the season in second for the third consectuive 12 months and sat 10 factors off the champions, having drawn 14 of their 38 matches.
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Regardless of the large disappointment within the league, Arteta’s facet did enhance in Europe as soon as once more as they reached the semi-finals of the Champions League, however could not overcome eventual winners .
2025/26: Champions ultimately
Lastly did it | Michael Regan/GettyImages
Surprisingly, the Gunners began the 2025/26 marketing campaign considerably as underdogs with many ex-pros, pundits and members of the media predicting Liverpool or Man Metropolis to be those who declare the Premier League crown.
Two wins and a defeat of their opening three video games set Arsenal on route for a flying run, having fun with eight victories and three attracts in an 11-game unbeaten run within the league.
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Alongside that nice kind, Arteta oversaw nice performances in all cup competitions, together with a end on the high of the Champions League league part desk, having received all eight of their matches.
There was a slight stumble in January and February as they slipped up towards Liverpool, Forest, Man United, Wolves and Brentford. The Gunners did attain the ultimate of the Carabao Cup although, which led to defeat to Metropolis, eradicating faint hopes of a quadruple.
An FA Cup exit to Championship facet Southampton and a house defeat to Bournemouth in April noticed Arsenal staring down the barrel of a whole crumble earlier than a loss at Metropolis handed their title rivals the benefit for the run-in.
Understanding they could not afford to slide up any additional, Arteta’s facet received their subsequent 4 video games within the league, with Metropolis’s attracts at and Bournemouth stopping them from capitalising and handing the Gunners the title with a recreation to spare, ending a 22-year wait and an extended interval of ‘bottling’ beneath Arteta.
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The Spaniard and his group concluded the home season with a 2-1 victory at Crystal Palace, adopted by the lengthy anticipated trophy elevate in entrance of their travelling followers.
Arteta now has the prospect to place the cap on an unbelievable marketing campaign as he leads his group out towards Paris Saint-Germain within the last of the Champions League on Saturday afternoon, with the prospect to safe Arsenal their first ever triumph in Europe’s premier competitors.
It has been an extended journey beneath Arteta and the anticipate main silverware is lastly over, and for each Arsenal fan, it feels so good. The prospect is now there for him to go on and lead his facet to repeat success over the approaching years.
This text was initially revealed on www.paininthearsenal.com as .