Mikel Arteta did not see the moment Arsenal became Premier League champions. While his players gathered at the training ground to watch Bournemouth hold Manchester City to a 1-1 draw on Tuesday night, the Gunners' manager was at home, tending a fire in his garden and doing the one thing he apparently could not avoid — having a barbecue.

The title is heading to north London for the first time in 22 years, and the man who has driven that transformation admits he was simply too wound up to sit alongside his coaching staff for the match that would confirm it.

"I was supposed to be watching the game with the boys and the staff because that's what they wanted — but I couldn't," Arteta said. "I couldn't bring the energy that I wanted."

He left the training ground 20 minutes before kick-off and drove home. He did not turn on the television. He lit a fire, started cooking, and waited.

"I was just hearing some noises in the living room and suddenly the magic happened," he explained. "My oldest son opened the garden door, started to run towards me, started to cry, gave me a hug, and said: 'We are champions, Daddy.' Then my other two boys and my wife came over and it was beautiful. Just to see that joy on them as well, that they are always with me — it was magical."

A minute later, captain Martin Ødegaard rang him on video call.

A call to an old friend in the Basque Country

Arsenal's title win arrived courtesy of Bournemouth denying City the victory they needed, and Arteta wasted little time in reaching out to the man who masterminded that result. Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola is a childhood friend — the pair grew up in the same area of the Basque Country and played together for youth side Antiguoko in San Sebastián.

Arteta did not send a message. He rang.

"I called firstly to congratulate him on the incredible job he has done with Bournemouth," Arteta said. "I told him he almost took the Premier League away from us — and then helped us to win it." That was a pointed reference to the 2-1 defeat Arsenal suffered at Bournemouth in April, a result that briefly threatened to derail their title charge.

Iraola has confirmed he will leave Bournemouth when his contract expires at the end of the season, and Arteta was generous in his assessment of his compatriot's future. "I rang him to show my admiration towards him and wish him the best in the next chapter of his career, which I'm sure is going to be very successful," he said.

Eyes already on Budapest

Arsenal's celebrations are set to be brief. The club face Crystal Palace in their final Premier League fixture this Sunday before turning their full attention to the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain on Sunday, 30 May in Budapest.

Arteta is clear about what he wants the title parade — scheduled for the day after the final — to look like. "We want to have the parade with two trophies," he said.

The manager gave himself and his squad 48 hours to savour the league triumph before resetting. With six days between the Palace match and the Budapest showpiece, he knows the timing is tight but the opportunity is historic.

"We have six days to write a new history in this football club," Arteta said. For a man who spent a Tuesday evening grilling food in his garden, he is now facing the most significant week of his managerial career.

Frequently asked

How did Arsenal win the Premier League title?
Arsenal were confirmed as Premier League champions after Bournemouth held Manchester City to a 1-1 draw. That result meant City could not overtake Arsenal at the top of the table, handing the Gunners the title for the first time in 22 years.
When is Arsenal's Champions League final?
Arsenal face Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League final on Sunday, 30 May in Budapest.
Who is Andoni Iraola and why did Arteta call him?
Andoni Iraola is the Bournemouth manager and a childhood friend of Arteta — the pair grew up together in the Basque Country. Arteta rang him to thank him after Bournemouth's draw with Manchester City effectively clinched the Premier League title for Arsenal.