Arsenal have been crowned Premier League champions for the first time in 22 years after Manchester City were held to a 1-1 draw by AFC Bournemouth on Tuesday night.
City needed a victory to keep the title race alive until the final day of the season, but Bournemouth’s impressive unbeaten run continued as they secured a valuable point at the Vitality Stadium.
The result confirmed Arsenal as champions after Mikel Arteta’s side moved five points clear at the top of the table following their 1-0 win over Burnley on Monday.
The triumph ends Arsenal’s six-year trophy drought and marks their first Premier League title since the 2003/2004 “Invincibles” season.
After finishing second in the league for the past three campaigns, Arteta’s side finally completed the job this season following a strong finish to the title race.
The Gunners responded positively after losing to Manchester City last month, winning four consecutive league matches without conceding a goal.
Meanwhile, City’s title hopes faded despite recently completing a domestic cup double after defeating Chelsea FC in the FA Cup final.
Manager Pep Guardiola had warned that fatigue could affect his team ahead of the Bournemouth clash, especially amid reports that he could leave the club at the end of the season after a decade in charge.
Bournemouth opened the scoring in the 39th minute through Eli Junior Kroupi, whose strike set a new Premier League record for goals scored by a teenager in a debut season.
City struggled to respond for most of the match, with Erling Haaland eventually scoring a late equaliser deep into stoppage time, but the goal came too late to revive their title challenge.
The draw also secured European football for Bournemouth for the first time in the club’s history, with the club guaranteed at least a Europa League place next season.
Attention will now turn to the final day of the season, where teams will continue battling for Champions League qualification spots.
AFP
