Arsenal have returned to the peak of English football by outlasting rivals Manchester City to win their first Premier League title in 22 years.Their status as champions of England was confirmed on Tuesday night when Pep Guardiola's side lost 1-0 at Bournemouth, meaning the title race was over with a game to spare. It hasn't always been pretty, with the Gunners far more pragmatic than the attacking teams from City and Liverpool who have dominated in recent years. Boss Mikel Arteta values control in games over all else, and ultimately his methods have been vindicated. Below we look at how the Spanish coach turned Arsenal from perennial runners-up into winners. Meanest defence in the land Arsenal boast the tightest defensive unit in the Premier League, conceding just 26 goals – seven fewer than City – while keeping 19 clean sheets from 37 games so far. David Raya’s arrival from Brentford to replace Aaron Ramsdale was criticised at the time but he's now among the best goalkeepers in the world. Gabriel and William Saliba have been one of the best centre-back pairings in the league for a while and that relationship only seems to grow stronger. Jurrien Timber has been a revelation at right back and Riccardo Calafiori has blossomed at left back. The arrival of defence coach Gabriel Heinze last summer has clearly had an impact, and while ill-discipline cost them last season, they have not received a single red card in 2025/26.The set-piece kings Thanks to the input of specialist coach Nicolas Jover, Arsenal have become the set-piece kings of Europe. Kai Havertz’s winning goal against Burnley on Monday was their record-extending 18th from a corner in the league this season – accounting for 26 per cent of their 69 goals – with a further five goals coming from free-kicks. Arsenal have scored only 41 times from open play, which will be the lowest ever by a Premier League champion, unless they can put five past Crystal Palace to match Leicester’s 2016 tally of 46, on the final day.Transfers brought strength in depthArsenal have been building their squad for several years under Arteta, and crucially they plugged several areas of weakness in the summer. The club spent more than £250 million on eight players under new sporting director Andrea Berta. Viktor Gyokeres was the marquee signing, and although he has faced criticism along the way, his return of 21 goals has been pivotal. ▶Eberechi Eze has provided moments of magic, while Martin Zubimendi has, until very recently, been a permanent fixture in midfield. Versatile defender Christian Mosquera has proved a bargain at £13 million, and loan signing Piero Hincapie has been an extremely useful squad player. Declan Rice’s arrival from West Ham for a club record £100m in 2023 remains the most important business the Gunners have done in years. From bottlers to the bestAfter finishing runners-up for the past three seasons, and without a trophy since 2020, Arsenal have had to shed the tag of nearly men. The memes have flowed as rival fans have had a laugh at their expense. That looked set to continue when they lost the League Cup final to City, and were then eliminated from the FA Cup by Southampton before surrendering their lead of the Premier League. Arteta’s men were accused of “bottling” their trophy bid. A City fan goaded their rivals by waving an Arsenal-branded bottle for the cameras, while the taunts on social media were even harsher. But Arsenal’s players were able to block out the external noise and have the last laugh.Engaging the Arsenal supporters Arsenal fans have been scarred by the many failures over the years, so it's little wonder they needed help to believe they could get back on top. After taking the job, Arteta made transforming the Emirates and reconnecting a jaded fan base one of his top priorities. He was integral in introducing Islington-born Louis Dunford’s song “The Angel”, better known as “North London Forever”, as the club’s pre-game anthem. Originally laughed at, it has unified the supporters and become part of the club’s fabric. Rice described the atmosphere in Arsenal’s recent semi-final win against Atletico Madrid as the best in the stadium's 20-year history. Trusting the processArteta’s lack of silverware and sometimes odd methods have been mocked at times. So too has his side’s over-reliance on set pieces, and his frantic touchline behaviour. But, 2,342 days after landing the job, he has overseen Arsenal’s first title in 22 years. And, with a Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain on May 30, he could yet make history by becoming the first Arsenal manager to win the European Cup. The Spaniard’s contract is due to expire in 2027 but an extension seems a formality. As he said when he first arrived: “Trust the process.”