By Ghazali Ibrahim
Arsenal have officially emerged Premier League champions for the first time since 2004 after Manchester City were held to a dramatic 1-1 draw by AFC Bournemouth on Tuesday night.
Mikel Arteta’s men were left celebrating after City failed to secure maximum points at the Vitality Stadium, a result that mathematically ended the title race before the final round of fixtures.
Bournemouth stunned the reigning champions in the 39th minute when Eli Junior Kroupi fired the hosts ahead, putting Arsenal supporters on edge as Pep Guardiola’s side struggled to respond for most of the encounter.
Although Erling Haaland rescued a late point with a stoppage-time equaliser in the 94th minute, the draw was not enough to keep City’s fading title hopes alive.
Arsenal had earlier moved closer to the crown following a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Burnley on Monday, opening a five-point lead at the summit of the table.
The latest result leaves Manchester City on 84 points with only one game remaining, confirming Arsenal as champions and ending City’s run of league dominance.
The triumph marks Arsenal’s first English top-flight title since Arsene Wenger guided the famous “Invincibles” side to an unbeaten league campaign during the 2003/04 season.
Attention will now shift to Europe for the North London club as they prepare to face Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League final later this month, with hopes of completing a memorable double.
