Five factors in Arsenal’s Premier League title win

Arsenal ended their 22-year wait for a Premier League title on Tuesday after Manchester City were held to a 1-1 draw by Bournemouth, handing Mikel Arteta’s side the crown with one game left in the season.

After finishing as runners-up for the previous three campaigns, Arsenal finally overcame Pep Guardiola’s City to secure a long-awaited triumph.

Below are at the key factors as the Gunners finally got over the line after three seasons as runners-up:

Reliable Raya

Goalkeeper David Raya played a defining role in Arsenal’s title-winning campaign, claiming the Premier League Golden Glove for a third straight season and producing arguably his finest year since arriving from Brentford in 2023.

The Spaniard delivered decisive performances throughout the season, notably in narrow victories over Manchester United and West Ham United.

Raya made several key saves against United on the opening weekend and later became central to a crucial moment in Arsenal’s run-in when VAR ruled that he had been fouled, overturning a late West Ham equaliser earlier this month.

Former Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira praised the goalkeeper’s impact, describing him as Arsenal’s player of the season.

Vieira said: “David Raya, for me, has to be the player of the season.

“I think he was outstanding from the first game until the end of the season, I think he was really impressive.”

‘Set piece FC’

Arsenal’s effectiveness from set pieces became one of their biggest weapons this season. More than 40 per cent of the club’s league goals came from dead-ball situations.

The Gunners scored 28 set-piece goals in total, including a record-breaking 18 from corners – the highest ever recorded in a single Premier League season.

Set-piece coach Nicolas Jover received widespread praise for designing routines that repeatedly exposed opposition defences. The delivery of Bukayo Saka, and Declan Rice, combined with Arsenal’s aerial strength, made the team especially dangerous from corners and free-kicks.

Dynamo Declan

Midfielder Declan Rice justified Arsenal’s decision to spend more than £100 million to bring him to north London three years ago.

Although he contributed four league goals and five assists, Rice’s influence went beyond statistics. His relentless energy, defensive work, and leadership were vital to Arsenal building the league’s strongest defensive record.

The England international accumulated over 4,000 minutes across all competitions as Arteta relied heavily on his consistency throughout the campaign.

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Strength in depth

Unlike previous seasons, Arsenal successfully navigated major injury setbacks thanks to improved squad depth.

The club coped with absences involving key players, including Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Magalhaes, and Jurrien Timber.

New arrivals such as Eberechi Eze, Martin Zubimendi, Viktor Gyokeres, Noni Madueke, Piero Hincapie, and Cristhian Mosquera all made important contributions during the season.

Their depth also helped Arsenal reach the brink of a first-ever Champions League triumph.

Rivals falter

Arsenal’s consistency proved enough in a season where their main rivals failed to hit the heights of previous campaigns.

City remained in contention until the final week but lacked the dominance and relentless form that characterised Guardiola’s best teams.

Meanwhile, Liverpool endured a disappointing title defence, while Manchester United finished third despite dismissing manager Ruben Amorim midway through the season.

After years in which more than 90 points were often required to win the title, Arsenal’s total of 82 points proved sufficient to finally bring the Premier League trophy back to the Emirates Stadium.