More than two decades later, Arsenal is English champion once again.
Manchester City's 1-1 draw at Bournemouth on Tuesday assured Arsenal a first Premier League title since Arsene Wenger's "Invincibles" in 2004.
The Managerial Gamble
It was Aug. 28, 2021. Arsenal had just lost 5-0 at Man City, slumping to the bottom of the Premier League standings with a third straight loss to open the season — something that hadn't happened since 1954.
Mikel Arteta, a year and a half into his first senior coaching role, questioned whether he was the right manager to take Arsenal forward.
Mesut Ozil, who had just left Arsenal after being frozen out by Arteta, sarcastically posted "Trust the process" on social media — a cutting reference to his former coach's methods.
The board, headed by American owner Stan Kroenke, stuck with Arteta. He'd won the FA Cup at the end of his first season and was beginning the tough process of building a new culture at the club.
Trusting Youth, Then Spending Big
In the early years of his tenure, Arteta placed his trust in younger players to revive Arsenal's fortunes.
Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe were among the academy players promoted to the first team. An 18-year-old Gabriel Martinelli arrived from Brazil in 2019.
Another 18-year-old, William Saliba, joined the same year from France and was initially loaned out. Over the next couple of years, players under the age of 23 — such as Ben White and Martin Ødegaard — were signed.
Arteta honed these youngsters into top-class Premier League players, but it was clear that to make the final step, the club needed to buy slightly older, elite-level players.
Declan Rice cost a reported 105 million pounds ($138 million) — then a British-record fee — in 2023. Viktor Gyokeres and Eberechi Eze were signed for a combined price of around $160 million last summer.
Near-Misses and Unconventional Methods
Finishing as runner-up in the Premier League for the past three years saw Arsenal's players and Arteta derided as "nearly men," even chokers, by many soccer pundits.
An alternative view is that it built up the prerequisite experience and resolve to finally launch a successful tilt at the title.
Arteta kept believing in his squad — and kept coming up with unorthodox methods to inspire his players. A professional pickpocket was reportedly hired for a preseason dinner and took items from players, highlighting the need for them to be alert at all times.
Arteta brought a lightbulb into the locker room ahead of one game, linking that to his demand for the team to shine and light up Emirates Stadium. Just a few weeks ago, TikTok videos featuring fan chants were played on big screens during practice sessions.
Back-to-Basics Approach
Arsenal has been mentally tougher this season, holding on after yet another strong start to the campaign and seeing it through to the end despite City's trademark late-season rally.
Arteta's Arsenal has been the emblem of a more back-to-basics approach in English soccer, grindng out results when needed and maintaining defensive solidity.
The wait is over. After 20 years, Arsenal are champions of England once again.