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Arsenal received the Premier League trophy as the season came to an end on Sunday afternoon in a moment that culminated their incredible journey under Mikel Arteta.
The Gunners were crowned champions a week ago when Manchester City failed to beat Bournemouth, drawing 1-1 on the south coast to hand their inter-city rivals their first title in 22 years.
The Spaniard was appointed as head coach in December 2019 and has taken Arsenal on a journey that has seen them transform from mid-table dwellers to conquerors of the Premier League.
Arsenal's journey under Mikel Arteta
2019/20: The beginning and FA Cup win
Following the sacking of Unai Emery, Arteta returned to the Gunners to take the hot seat with the club sitting in 10th in the league on just 22 points days before Christmas 2019.
He drew his maiden match 1-1 at Bournemouth before succumbing to a late 2-1 turnaround at home to Chelsea before picking up his first win with a 2-0 victory over Manchester United on New Year's Day.
That saw him enjoy an unbeaten run at the helm, which eventually came to an end with a shock defeat at the hands of Olympiacos to send Arsenal crashing out of the Europa League in the round of 32.
The COVID-19 pandemic struck soon after, disrupting the season until it restarted in June. Defeats to Man City, Brighton, Tottenham and Aston Villa prevented Arteta from leading his side to a European finish in his first campaign.
However, FA Cup victories over Sheffield United and his former employers Man City in the quarter-finals and semi-finals respectively saw the Spaniard send his side marching out against Chelsea in the final.
A brace from captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang overturned a deficit set by Christian Pulisic to win Arsenal a record-extending 14th FA Cup and ensure Arteta ended his first season with silverware and a route into Europe.
2020/21: A disaster year saved by changes
Off the back of the FA Cup triumph, Gunners fans went into the 2020/21 campaign with full hope that the team could begin a return to where they belong, but they were very wrong.
Arsenal began the season with a penalty shootout victory over league champions Liverpool to win the Community Shield before winning their opening matches over Fulham and West Ham.
However, disaster soon struck as a period of mixed form ended with a 1-0 victory at Man United being their final league win for seven games and almost two months. That barren run left Arteta under scrutiny with his team sat 15th entering the Christmas period with only 14 points after 14 games played.
Knowing change was needed, the Spaniard introduced Emile Smith Rowe to the fold for a must-win Boxing Day encounter with London rivals Chelsea. That decision paid off as the Hale End graduate helped inspire a 3-1 win over the Blues to kickstart a seven-match unbeaten run.
That period came to an end though with further inconsistency striking in the final weeks of the season, leading to another eighth place finish, with no European football secured after exits from every cup competition, including in the Europa League semi-finals to Villarreal, managed by former manager Unai Emery.
Arteta remained in the job despite criticism from fans as there had been slight hints of progress shown amidst the overall disaster of a season.
2021/22: Back in Europe, but not where they want to be
With the full backing of the club, Arteta went into the 2021/22 season with the aim of returning Arsenal to European competition, but that attempt started terribly.
An opening night 2-0 loss to Premier League newcomers Brentford saw doubters raise their voices once again before devastating defeats to Chelsea and Manchester City saw the Gunners bottom of the league after three matches with the man in the hot seat in serious trouble.
Changes to the team, including the introductions of Aaron Ramsdale and Takehiro Tomiyasu, helped them bounce back to go on an eight-game unbeaten run until November when it was ended by a 4-0 defeat at Liverpool.
January saw Arsenal exit both the FA Cup and Carabao Cup in the third round and the semi-finals respectively, as well as Aubameyang departing following a contract termination after previously being banished from the squad.
The controversial transfer saw more fans turn on Arteta, but he guided the Gunners to being within grasp of qualifying for the Champions League, but more slip-ups in the latter stages of the season saw them miss out and finish fifth behind arch-rivals Tottenham.
2022/23: Surprise title challengers
Ahead of the 2022/23 season, most expected Arsenal's main aim to be returning to Europe's premier competition, but instead, Arteta oversaw his side launch a surprising title challenge.
The campaign started with five straight wins before a defeat at Man United halted the perfect start. However, consistent winning form after that slip saw the Gunners mount a strong lead at the top of the Premier League table.
A slight stumble in February saw Man City temporarily knock Arteta's side off the top, but the North Londoners soon picked up their form again, only to be hindered once more in the run-in. A run of four games without a win, including a 3-3 draw at home to bottom place Southampton, handed City the advantage for the closing weeks.
Arsenal continued the fight, but further losses to Brighton and Nottingham Forest allowed Pep Guardiola and eventual treble winners City to claim their first title of three in an historic campaign.
Cup runs weren't much to shout about for the Gunners that year as early exits in both domestic competitions were followed by a round of 16 exit at the hands of Sporting in the Europa League.
It wasn't to be for the title, but Arteta had got Arsenal back where they belong as contenders.
2023/24: Agonisingly close
With his side back in the Champions League for the first time since the 2016/17 season, Arteta had a big task on his hands as he looked to manage in Europe's premier competition while also leading another title challenge.
Some expected the previous season to have been a fluke with the Gunners soon restored to being mere contenders for the European spots, but those doubters were soon proved wrong.
Arsenal started the campaign with a penalty shootout victory over Manchester City to claim another Community Shield before enjoying an unbeaten beginning to the season, avoiding defeat until November. That run wasn't without its slips though as draws to Fulham, Spurs and Chelsea would go onto hinder them.
Arteta did manage league victory over City for the first time as Gunners boss when Gabriel Martinelli struck late on in a 1-0 triumph at the Emirates.
A four-game winless run with three straight defeats and an early FA Cup exit over the Christmas and New Year period prompted the Spaniard to take his side to Dubai for a warm weather training camp during the league's winter break.
That was successful as a 5-0 victory over Crystal Palace marked a return to action and the beginning of an eight-game unbeaten run that came to an end with a 0-0 draw at City. The stalemate in Manchester and a 2-0 defeat at home to Aston Villa were Arsenal's sole slip-ups in their final 18 league matches, but the near-perfection wasn't enough as they finished two points behind victors Man City.
While there was another unsuccessful attempt to win the league, Arteta did oversee further improvement on the continental front as he led the Gunners to the quarter-finals, where they suffered a slender defeat on aggregate to Bayern Munich.
2024/25: Plagued by inconsistency, injuries and controversy
With Jurgen Klopp departing Liverpool and City very slowly becoming a shadow of their former selves, many tipped the 2024/25 season to be Arsenal's year to end the hurt, but once again, those predictions were very far off.
An unbeaten start in their first eight games ensured the Gunners remained within a chance of going into the season's midway period with their title hopes intact, but inconsistency and controversy got in the way of that.
Three controversial red cards in their opening 10 matches paved the way for debates around their discipline while constant failure to hold onto leads meant Arsenal never really looked like they could keep up with surprise leaders Liverpool.
Even as Man City fell away, succumbing to a 5-1 defeat at the Emirates among other poor results, Arne Slot's side comfortably ran away from a Gunners team that were never really good enough to mount a genuine challenge at the summit.
Arsenal finished the season in second for the third consectuive year and sat 10 points off the champions, having drawn 14 of their 38 matches.
Despite the huge disappointment in the league, Arteta's side did improve in Europe once again as they reached the semi-finals of the Champions League, but couldn't overcome eventual winners Paris Saint-Germain.
2025/26: Champions at last
Surprisingly, the Gunners started the 2025/26 campaign somewhat as underdogs with many ex-pros, pundits and members of the media predicting Liverpool or Man City to be the ones who claim the Premier League crown.
Two wins and a defeat in their opening three games set Arsenal on route for a flying run, enjoying eight victories and three draws in an 11-game unbeaten run in the league.
Alongside that fine form, Arteta oversaw great performances in all cup competitions, including a finish at the top of the Champions League league phase table, having won all eight of their matches.
There was a slight stumble in January and February as they slipped up against Liverpool, Forest, Man United, Wolves and Brentford. The Gunners did reach the final of the Carabao Cup though, which ended in defeat to City, eradicating faint hopes of a quadruple.
An FA Cup exit to Championship side Southampton and a home defeat to Bournemouth in April saw Arsenal staring down the barrel of a complete crumble before a loss at City handed their title rivals the advantage for the run-in.
Knowing they couldn't afford to slip up any further, Arteta's side won their next four games in the league, with City's draws at Everton and Bournemouth preventing them from capitalising and handing the Gunners the title with a game to spare, ending a 22-year wait and a long period of 'bottling' under Arteta.
The Spaniard and his team concluded the domestic season with a 2-1 victory at Crystal Palace, followed by the long anticipated trophy lift in front of their travelling fans.
Arteta now has the chance to put the cap on an incredible campaign as he leads his team out against Paris Saint-Germain in the final of the Champions League on Saturday afternoon, with the chance to secure Arsenal their first ever triumph in Europe's premier competition.
It's been a long journey under Arteta and the wait for major silverware is finally over, and for every Arsenal fan, it feels so good. The chance is now there for him to go on and lead his side to repeat success over the coming years.
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