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Arsenal won the British Premier League, securing its first title in twenty-two years. Fans recalled the earlier era when Arsenal’s “Invincibles” went unbeaten in the league, defining the club’s international image through swagger and beauty. Later seasons brought struggles against rivals strengthened by Russian oil money and Gulf sovereign wealth, along with early departures of heroes and repeated failures to recapture past magic. Criticism grew, with the club’s style mocked and disappointments amplified through social media. The current team, led by Mikel Arteta, is described as steel-and-grit, emphasizing discipline and consistency rather than prettiest play. After finishing second for three consecutive years and surviving a late challenge from Manchester City, Arsenal’s title sparked mass celebrations in Islington.

"I was an undergrad twenty-two years ago when I watched on a grainy internet feed as Arsenal clinched their last Premier League title. That team was dubbed 'the Invincibles' after not losing a single league game that season-a feat that no English team has repeated since. Their stars played with an imperiousness, swagger, and beauty that came to define Arsenal's international image. But it didn't last: in subsequent years, the club struggled to compete against a cast of rivals that included clubs boosted by misbegotten Russian oil money (Chelsea) and the sovereign wealth of a Gulf emirate (Manchester City)."

"Now, that era is definitively over. Arsenal, led by the manager Mikel Arteta, a former captain of the team, is all steel and grit, solidarity and endeavor. They don't play the prettiest soccer in the league but, maybe, the most disciplined and consistent. Their victory came after finishing second in the table three years in a row, a series of heartbreaks that left Arsenal's fan base on the verge of a nervous breakdown when it seemed, a few weeks ago, that Manchester City would once again overcome their title charge."

"But Arsenal rallied while City fumbled, leading to scenes of delirium yesterday in London, where tens of thousands partied through the night in the club's home borough of Islington. A generation's worth of pen"

Read at The New Yorker