Arsenal have finally ended their 22-year wait for a Premier League title, securing the crown after Manchester City's 1-1 draw at Bournemouth. It is their 14th top-flight championship and fourth in the Premier League era, their first since the Invincibles season of 2003-04. While that legendary side was defined by zero defeats, this Arsenal team has its own defining numbers. Here are 10 key statistics that tell the story of their triumph.
1. 28: Set-Piece Dominance
A hallmark of Mikel Arteta's Arsenal has been their effectiveness from dead-ball situations. They have scored 28 of their 68 league goals from set pieces, more than any other side. Notably, 18 of those have come from corners, a new Premier League record. This surpasses the previous record of 16 set by Oldham Athletic in 1992-93, a mark broken twice this season—first by Arsenal and later by Tottenham (17). Critics argue that reliance on set pieces makes Arsenal predictable, but elite teams understand the value of marginal gains, and Arsenal have become the best at exploiting them.
2. 19: David Raya's Clean Sheets
Goalkeeper David Raya has kept 19 clean sheets this season, equalling the club record for a Premier League campaign held by David Seaman (1993-94 and 1998-99). If he keeps another on the final day against Crystal Palace, he will set a new outright record. Raya has won the Golden Glove for the third consecutive season, joining Pepe Reina, Joe Hart, and Ederson as the only goalkeepers to achieve this feat. He is now one Golden Glove away from equalling the all-time record of four shared by Petr Cech and Joe Hart.
3. 26: Defensive Excellence
Arsenal have conceded just 26 league goals this season, at least six fewer than any other side and the second-fewest they have ever conceded in a Premier League campaign (behind 17 in 1998-99). Their defensive strength has been pivotal in the run-in: since a 2-1 defeat at Manchester City a month ago, they have won four consecutive games without conceding. Underlying numbers are equally impressive: they have allowed chances worth only 0.74 expected goals per game, the fourth-best figure since Opta began tracking advanced data in 2012-13. They also concede just 8.2 shots and 2.4 shots on target per game, the best across Europe's top five leagues.
4. 26: The Saliba-Gabriel Partnership
Centre-back pairing William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães have started together in 26 league games, with Arsenal winning 17 of them. This is the joint-highest win total for a defensive duo in the division, alongside Liverpool's Ibrahima Konaté and Virgil van Dijk (who started together 35 times). Among pairings with more than five starts, Saliba and Gabriel have the best clean sheet rate, keeping 15 shutouts in their 26 starts together—one every 1.7 games.
5. 17: Ruthlessness Against Bottom-Half Teams
Arsenal have been ruthless against weaker opposition, winning 17 of their 19 matches against teams currently in the bottom half of the table. They have taken 53 points and conceded just six goals in those games, averaging 2.8 points per game—the best rate in the league and well ahead of Manchester City's 2.3. A tense 1-0 win over relegated Burnley ultimately sealed the title, epitomising their efficiency.
6. 238: Days Spent Top of the Table
Arsenal have led the league for 238 days this season, 204 more than Liverpool and 229 more than Manchester City. This time they have made it count, unlike in 2022-23 when they spent 232 days top but failed to win the title—still a record for most days spent top by a side that did not win. Since the start of 2022-23, Arsenal will have spent 562 days top of the Premier League by season's end, 207 more than any other club.
7. 14: Viktor Gyökeres' League Goals
Summer signing Viktor Gyökeres has scored 21 goals in all competitions, including 14 in the Premier League, making him the first Arsenal player to score 20-plus goals in his debut season since Alexis Sánchez in 2014-15. However, 14 league goals is a modest tally for a title-winning top scorer. Only two champions have had a top scorer with fewer: Frank Lampard (13 for Chelsea in 2004-05) and İlkay Gündoğan (13 for Manchester City in 2020-21). Gyökeres is level with Eric Cantona, who scored 14 for Manchester United in 1995-96.
8. 8: 1-0 Wins
Arsenal have won by a 1-0 scoreline eight times in the league this season, their highest total since 1998-99 (nine). Since their defeat to Manchester City a month ago, they have won four straight games without conceding, three of which were 1-0 victories. This defensive resilience has been especially crucial during the run-in.
9. 35: Distance Covered
Physicality is central to Arteta's vision, reflected in Arsenal's running metrics. They have covered more distance than their opponents in 35 of their 37 league games, more than any other side (Leeds United are second with 32). Despite averaging 56.1% possession (fourth-highest in the league), Arsenal's work rate, exemplified by Declan Rice, has helped them edge tight matches.
10. 44: Arteta's Age
At 44 years and 54 days old, Mikel Arteta becomes the second-youngest manager to win the Premier League, behind only José Mourinho (42 years and 94 days in 2004-05). With Pep Guardiola leaving Manchester City at season's end, Arteta will become the longest-serving current Premier League manager. Having already spent over six years at Arsenal, his relative youth suggests many more campaigns to come—a worrying prospect for rivals.
