'Championship secured': It took Arsenal 22 years to win the title without a defeat! Manchester City draws with Bournemouth

*This content was translated by AI.

Arsenal has lifted the English Premier League (EPL) trophy for the first time in 22 years.

On the 20th (Korean time), in the 37th round of the 2025-2026 EPL held at Vitality Stadium in Bournemouth, England, Manchester City drew 1-1 with Bournemouth, securing an early championship for Arsenal. Arsenal, who had defeated Burnley 1-0 the previous day and sat in first place, secured 82 points, extending their lead over Manchester City to four points, ensuring they could lift the championship trophy regardless of the outcome of the final weekend matches.

Arsenal's EPL title win comes 22 years after the legendary unbeaten championship in the 2003-2004 season under manager Arsène Wenger. Over the past three seasons, Arsenal had finished as runners-up for three consecutive years, trailing behind Manchester City and Liverpool, but this year, the leadership of manager Mikel Arteta and the club's trust finally bore fruit. Arsenal recorded their 14th overall top-flight league title, maintaining their position as the third-most decorated club behind Manchester United and Liverpool (both with 20 titles).

On this day, Manchester City fell behind after conceding an early goal in the 39th minute of the first half to Bournemouth's rookie Eli Junior Kropi. Erling Haaland scored a dramatic equalizer in the fourth minute of stoppage time in the second half, but there was not enough time to turn the match around. Arteta, who had publicly stated the previous day that he would support Bournemouth, achieved the record of becoming the first Spanish-born manager to win the EPL, thanks to the assistance of Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola.

Arsenal will play their final league match away against Crystal Palace at midnight on the 25th. Following that, on the 31st at 1 a.m., they will face Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in the 2025-2026 UEFA Champions League (UCL) final, aiming for the double (winning two major titles).

Meanwhile, Pep Guardiola, the Manchester City manager who has been linked with a split from the club at the end of this season, failed to secure his seventh EPL title. Manchester City won the League Cup and the England Football Association (FA) Cup this season but were eliminated early in the UEFA Champions League at the round of 16.

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*This content was translated by AI.