Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta becomes third-youngest boss in Premier League history to win title

LONDON: Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has become the third-youngest manager in the history of the Premier League to win the title after the Gunners were confirmed champions following a 1-1 draw between Manchester City and AFC Bournemouth on Wednesday. The result ensured the Arsenal, led by Martin Odegaard, will finish top of the 2025/26 standings.

At the age of 44 years and 54 days, Arteta is the third-youngest boss to win the Premier League. The only manager younger than Arteta to have won the coveted title is Jose Mourinho, who won the title with Chelsea in 2004/05 at 42 years and 94 days, and then again in 2005/06 at 43 years and 93 days, according to the Premier League website.

The Spaniard has also become the youngest manager in Arsenal history to win the league title, surpassing George Graham, who was 124 days older when he led the club to glory in the 1988/89 season, according to the Arsenal website.

Dressed in @Arsenal red again. pic.twitter.com/FuyI6t9Cxc

— Premier League (@premierleague) May 19, 2026

Arteta, who took charge of The Gunners in 2019, has also become the first former Arsenal skipper to lead the tean to a top-flight championship as a manager. Mikel is also only the second person to feature in the Premier League as a player and go on to win it as a manager, following on from Roberto Mancini, who played for Leicester City in 2001 and guided Manchester City to their first title in the 2011/12 season.

Arsenal have been crowned the Premier League champions for the first time in 22 years after a 1-1 draw between Manchester City and AFC Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium in Bournemouth on Wednesday. The last time The Gunners clinched a Premier League title was in the 2003/04 season, when they won under manager Arsene Wenger and the captaincy of Patrick Vieira.

Martin Odegaard-led Arsenal’s title win comes after three straight runner-up finishes, including the 2023/24 season when Manchester City edged them to the Premier League title by just two points.

Arsenal have now secured four Premier League titles, moving two ahead of Liverpool and just one behind Chelsea. Manchester United remain the competition’s most successful side with 13 Premier League wins, while Manchester City have won eight. The only other clubs to lift the trophy are Blackburn Rovers and Leicester City, who each have one title to their name.

Arsenal’s title-winning campaign has been driven by goals coming from across the squad. While Viktor Gyokeres (14 goals) leads the scoring charts, players such as Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eze, Leandro Trossard, Martin Zubimendi, Declan Rice and Mikel Merino have also made consistent contributions throughout the season.

Similarly, assists have been shared too, with Trossard, Martin Odegaard, Rice, Saka, Jurien Timber and Gabriel Magalhaes contributing at least four each. (ANI)