The wait is finally over. Arsenal are Premier League champions for the first time since 2004, and north London made absolutely sure the rest of the country knew about it on Tuesday night.

Supporters began gathering outside the Emirates Stadium long before the final whistle blew at the Vitality Stadium, where Manchester City's 1-1 draw with Bournemouth proved just enough — for Arsenal, not for Pep Guardiola's men. That result hands the Gunners the title, and the streets of Holloway and Highbury promptly erupted.

The moment it clicked

Inside the Gunners pub, the noise levels shifted dramatically when City went behind in the 39th minute at Bournemouth, television cameras catching a glum-looking Guardiola on the touchline. Fans watching on an iPad outside the Tollington Arms looked tense right through to the final whistle — then the tension simply dissolved into unbridled, unfiltered joy.

City's draw was not enough. Arsenal, after 22 years of near-misses, summer rebuilds, and finishing second more times than any supporter cares to count, are champions of England.

Scenes outside the Emirates

The party outside the stadium had everything you would expect from a fan base that has been waiting more than two decades for this moment. Lamp posts were scaled — on more than one occasion, as it happens. Flares cast red smoke across Drayton Park. Fireworks lit up the night sky above the ground. Replica Premier League trophies were hoisted aloft, and flags were waved with the sort of conviction that only comes when the real thing is finally yours.

Arsenal legend Ian Wright was spotted celebrating in the thick of the crowd alongside AFTV founder Robbie Lyle, two figures who between them have lived through every painful near-miss of the modern era. The images of both men in that moment are about as fitting a symbol of what this title means as you are likely to find.

Bukayo Saka, meanwhile, was not shy about what this means in the context of the criticism that has followed the club — and individual players — during the lean years. "They're not laughing any more," the England winger said, in a line that will be quoted back at him for years, almost certainly with great pleasure.

A city wakes up with a headache

There are, as you might expect, some sore heads in north London this morning. The celebrations ran deep into the night, with fans showing little inclination to head home once it became clear that the title was confirmed. The Emirates area — the pubs, the streets, the steps outside the ground — served as a focal point for supporters who simply needed to be somewhere together.

For a club that last lifted this trophy when Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira were in their pomp, this is seismic. The market had Arsenal as strong favourites for much of the run-in, but that counted for nothing until the final whistle sounded on the south coast and made it mathematically certain.

North London is red. After 22 years, that title is home.

Frequently asked

When did Arsenal last win the Premier League title before 2026?
Arsenal's previous Premier League title came in the 2003-04 season — the famous Invincibles campaign — making the 2026 triumph their first in 22 years.
How did Arsenal win the Premier League title — did they play on the final day?
Arsenal were confirmed as champions when Manchester City could only draw 1-1 at Bournemouth, meaning City could no longer catch Arsenal at the top of the table.
Where did Arsenal fans celebrate winning the Premier League?
Supporters gathered outside the Emirates Stadium in north London, as well as in nearby pubs such as the Gunners and the Tollington Arms, with flares, fireworks and replica trophies all part of the celebrations.