Campeones! Campeones! Olé Olé Olé!

I started writing this week's piece on Tuesday morning, following the tense 1-0 win over Burnley. But then I thought to myself: 'Wait! Why bother with a forensic analysis of yet another agonising home performance when there could easily be much bigger matters to discuss in just 24 hours, with no need to even bother with discussing Burnley.' And - despite the pain the team put us through on Monday evening - that performance simply doesn't matter any longer. Because winning the title changes the narrative - and will surely now flick a switch for these players. 

So I'm going to gloss over Burnley with great haste; get it out of the way now. Bullet points only:

• I didn't like the line-up. Would have much preferred to see Gyokeres start. And we saw the impact he made when he came on; the guy has absolutely 'arrived' now

• I also hated the midfield selection. All very well on paper, but totally unbalanced and put far too much on even the ridiculously broad shoulders of Declan Rice. Even against Burnley...

• such a relief when the goal went in. And, as surely written in the stars, from a set piece. And Burnley never looked like scoring - just three shots at the Arsenal goal; one wide and two over the bar. But...

•  …at 1-0, you're always on edge. A corner. A speculative 30-yarder. A penalty. You just never know. I just wish that Arsenal would have properly gone after the second goal to put it to bed properly. But I guess that the crowd were probably more nervous about the match situation than the players were. Naturally, at 0-0 one is concerned; at 1-0 you remain on edge; and 2-0 - the supposed 'dangerous' scoreline... well, I think that we'd have certainly lived with that!

• the outpouring of relief at the end was palpable. A sense that it was pretty much done, with City having a really tricky fixture the following night and Palace due to play a Cup Final just three days after our game against them. 

• excellent words from Mikel Arteta during the incredibly rushed after-match formalities. As for Mikel himself... @MattKandela of The Arsenal Opinion fame, on a flying visit from NY and back in his seat next to mine, summed it up when he said to me at that moment that this was all down to him. A brilliant decision from the Kroenkes to bring him in, and then to back him as he set about transforming every single aspect of the club. He has dragged us all along by the collar, and here we are, back where we belong - CHAMPIONS OF ENGLAND!

No need to say any more about Monday night, but I hope and sense that winning the title will release the straitjacket from around these players. I turned around to my mate Vic Wright, who sits two rows behind me, and sarcastically said something like: 'PSG will be quaking in their boots watching this', and he put me in my place. 'Bollocks', he said. 'You'll see a completely different Arsenal in Budapest. Win this title and everything will flip!' And on reflection I agree. You could sense it just watching them celebrating last night (and this morning). It's as if a heavy weight has been lifted from the players' shoulders, and I suspect that we'll see much freer performances on May 30th and going into next season. Not that there can be any suggestion whatsoever that PSG will be easy, and Arsenal are clearly underdogs, but there's a monkey off of these players' backs now.

I want to concentrate on two aspects of what winning the title means; one for us Arsenal supporters, but firstly for all those sad, bitter and twisted supporters of other clubs who will give Arsenal zero credit. But a few quick words on the results of Tuesday evening first:

Starting with a quick word on Tottenham, whose traditional defeat away to Chelsea means that their fight against relegation will go down to the final match of the season. I shall enjoy watching their suffering on Sunday; irrespective of whether they do fall. They’ve been a joy to watch for Arsenal fans this season.

As for Manchester City, the writing was on the wall as soon as Kroupi curled in that wonderful shot. And for all their huffing and puffing and Pep's personnel changes, they never looked like pulling it out of the fire (perhaps until the 95th minute of the 96). When Doku went off, I genuinely took that as the raising of the white flag. At the final whistle my joy was actually compounded by looking at the expressions on the faces of the likes of Harland and Rodri. Where are your humility and mentality now? 

So firstly Liverpool and now Arsenal have kept the title away from City for successive seasons. These are two clubs who have grown and spent their money (granted; a hell of a lot of it!) organically in order to achieve success, whilst the enemy - owned by a nation state and STILL with 115 disciplinary charges hanging over them - miss out for a second successive season despite still spending with impunity as the case against them drags on. And how mad is it that clubs like Leicester City. Everton, Nottingham Forest, Luton Town and others have been punished so swiftly in the case of single offences whilst Chelsea (who started all this financial doping nonsense) received a mere financial slap on the wrist, and City continue to push back again and again on judgment? In the case of Southampton, everything was wrapped up in a week!

City fans now have to face a new reality. Whilst they have a number of exciting young players, their squad is flawed. Bernardo Silva and John Stones are leaving, and the likes of Ruben Dias and Rodri are on the down slope. And, most importantly of all, this is Pep Guardiola's final season with them. And it's the loss of Pep that is surely going to affect them most, if history is anything to go by. Look what happened when SAF left Manchester United. How long did it take Arsenal to return to where they belong post-Wenger (and that's not even allowing for the difficult latter years of AW's tenure, which I shall discuss later). Spurs never replaced Sir Bill Nicholson adequately. Brian Clough couldn't hack it at Leeds United, and his Forest and Derby sides were soon relegated. And there's little evidence to suggest that Enzo Maresca is fit to lace Pep's boots. All this, and the 115 charges still hang over them. So perhaps it's Manchester City who are now going to need to 'Stay humble, eh'. 

Fans of other clubs seem to have a lot to say for themselves. To give some credit, supporters of Arsenal's rivals Liverpool and Manchester United are generally behaving themselves and congratulating the new Champions, but there's still plenty of 'saltiness' in their ranks; and especially in the ranks of Chelsea and Tottenham fans (as if the latter don't have enough to worry about!). Nonsense like: 'Worst PL winners ever'. 'Set Piece FC'. 'VARsenal' and other such crap. 

In response I'll say this: 

It's a 38-game season; if a team finishes top, it deserves it - especially bearing in mind how deep Arsenal went in all 4 competitions. And when bearing in mind that they're up against a financially-doped behemoth.

And if anybody wants to complain that it's a poor quality PL season, they clearly don't understand football. It has never been harder to win this league, with up-and-coming sides like Bournemouth and Brighton looking to break into the so-called Big 6 and even the poorest of sides capable of picking up results anywhere. There's hardly a single easy game any more (outside of Tottenham, that is).

And if Arsenal are so poor, how come they're in the Champions League final, having won 8 out of 8 in the group stage, beaten Bayern, Inter, and Atletico (twice) on the way, and conceded a grand total of 7 goals (including two in a completely dead final rubber) in 14 matches? How comes they get so much more respect from abroad than they do in England? Are you aware, by the way, that the last time Arsenal conceded an open play goal in a CL game when Saliba and Gabriel were both on the field was April 2024?!? 

Sure, this may not be the most exciting team you’ve ever watched. But it’s solid, reliable, functional, extremely difficult to break down, and in my opinion has a much higher ceiling than we’ve had the opportunity to see. As a comparison, look at George Graham’s 1991 title winners (if you’re old enough). Arteta has learned the lessons of previous campaigns and built a team to do the job in hand. Now that they’re broken the glass ceiling, who knows where he may take them. Perhaps to creating a dynasty?

What we’re seeing from opposing supporters is, in fact, is pure jealousy and deflection. In sustaining title challenges for 4 successive seasons as he has, whilst they rebuilt from the dog days of having the likes of Mustafi, Sokratis, Kolasinac and Guendouzzi in the side and turning themselves into a football killing machine, Arteta has held up a mirror to all those other clubs who have wandered off on other paths. Liverpool have been awful all season; all Jurgen Klopp’s work undone in a single season by his successor. Manchester United's progress this season can only been taken with a huge pinch of salt, as they've actually played fewer games than Arsenal have won. Villa aren't in Arsenal's league. Chelsea are a laughing stock. And as for Tottenham... 

There has only been Manchester City to worry about; a club that's spent in excess of half a billion pounds in the two years that it has had these charges hanging over them and are clearly acting with total contempt and impunity - sticking two fingers up at the League. Whilst Arsenal have gone quietly about the business of bridging the gap.

As for all the VAR nonsense... well, maybe Arsenal have been slightly fortunate on a few occasions this season - the challenge that Havertz got away with on Monday evening for example - but one can hardly suggest that City haven't also benefitted. Red herring. And look at some of the officiating that Arsenal have suffered from over the previous three years?

And now a message for Arsenal supporters:

Nobody can say that we haven't earned this. When you think about everything that the club have had to go through since the last Premier League title, in the Invincibles season of 2004 - and the path that they've taken to get here... well, it has been a long and difficult period. The list of setbacks is depressing:

• the arrival of Abramovich at virtually the same time as the club committed to a new stadium

• the financial constraints that meant that Arsenal not only could not afford to keep up with their rivals' spending, but they had to let their best players go too (the likes of Fabregas, Nasri and Van Persie, for example - in a procession that started with the loss of Ashley Cole)

• the unfortunate circumstances of the defeat to Barcelona in the Champions League final of 2006; featuring the early sending-off of Jens Lehmann. And then getting into a real challenging position in the 2008 title race before Eduardo had his ankle snapped off

• the move to the new stadium, and the struggles to make it feel like home/a fortress

• other really disastrous (and completely avoidable) injuries to the likes of Aaron Ramsey and Abou Diaby. And Jack Wilshere's inability to stay fit

• massive, morale-sapping defeats like 8-2 at Old Trafford (without which - blessing in disguise - we wouldn't have the connection to Mikel Arteta) and 6-0 at Stamford Bridge in Arsene's 1000th game in charge

• the disaster that was Project Youth - remember players like Denilson?

• the steady demise when all the team had the ability to play for was the '4th Place Trophy'. Commendable in its way, but well below the standards to which we aspired. And meaning that we finished behind even Tottenham for so many successive years 

• the slightly uncomfortable departure of Arsene Wenger, and the frankly disastrous18-month tenure of Unai Emery

• the initial struggles of Mikel Arteta - in his very first managerial role; although having learned at the feet of Wenger and Guardiola - difficult to imagine better teachers - and despite one FA Cup to show for his early efforts the murmurings that he wasn't up to the job

• the fallout from the Super League fiasco, which was the nadir of the Kroenke's relationship with the supporters. And how things have changed since

• the decision to stick with Mikel Arteta and his 'process', despite the successive near misses

Quite the soap opera, but here we are. Was it worth it? Well, today it certainly feels ike it was!

So how do you feel, guys?  Personally, I'm ecstatic with joy! And so happy to bear witness to the outpourings of happiness from supporters not just at the stadium last night and this morning, but on social media, in the written and spoken media, and all over the world!  And one thing is perfectly clear - there is no bigger club in London than The Arsenal, and let there be no doubt about it now. I'd also perhaps go so far as to say that there may now be no bigger club in England when it comes to visible support; and we'll prove it at the parade on May 31st. 

Just two matches to go this campaign. One now a total irrelevance, and I’d expect massive rotation for it. It simply doesn’t matter at all.

As for Budapest; well, that’s a different matter. There’s no bigger test than PSG - although they may be arguing that there’s no bigger test than Arsenal! A clash of styles for sure, but if there’s a team who are capable of nullifying their attacking threat then surely it’s Arsenal. 

I’ll cover that in more depth early next week, but in the meantime make sure you enjoy yourselves at the expense of anybody who doesn’t have the good fortune to be an Arsenal fan. Rub their noses in it as much as you can; because, in much the same way as we had to cope with Tottenham fluking their way to Europa League glory last season - with all those feelings a of having a little piece of our souls torn away - so we can give it back to them and all the others in spades. Now that we’ve won something big, they’re all going to struggle to find anything to beat us up about. Good!

Meantime, here a few stills of Arsenal players celebrating their achivement. There was an all-nighter going on, for sure. And I'd like to wish Riccardo Calafiori a very happy birthday (shared with my son btw). One of these photographs is dedicated to him (btw did you see him popping uop on the right wing on Monday evening?!?)

And for Ebereche Eze; well, it all worked out...

So… North London Forever. COYG!