Pickpockets, set-pieces and keeping the faith: Inside Arsenal's journey to the top of English soccer

More than two decades later, Arsenal is English champion once again. Manchester City's 1-1 draw at Bournemouth on Tuesday assured Arsenal a first Premier League title since Arsene Wenger's “Invincibles” in 2004. Here's a look at Arsenal's turbulent journey back to the top of the English game under Mikel Arteta: Sticking with Arteta Arsenal's hierarchy had a big decision to make.

It was Aug. 28, 2021 and the team had just lost 5-0 at Man City to slump to the bottom of the Premier League standings with a third straight loss to open the season — something that hadn't happened since 1954. Arteta, a year and a half into his first senior coaching role, said he was questioning himself amid growing concerns he wasn't the right manager to take Arsenal forward.

Mesut Ozil, who had just left Arsenal after being frozen out by Arteta, sarcastically posted “Trust the process” on social media, in a cutting reference to the methods of his former coach. The board, headed by American owner Stan Kroenke, stuck with Arteta, though. He'd started life at Arsenal by winning the FA Cup at the end of his first season in charge and was beginning the tough process of building a new culture at the club, which meant instilling more discipline and reshaping the squad by getting rid of players who were viewed as destabilizing, like Ozil and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang .

Still, it would take longer than planned — nearly six years, as it turned out — for the next trophy to come. Trusting youth, then spending big In the early years of his tenure, Arteta placed his trust in younger players to revive Arsenal's fortunes and banked on the goodwill and faith of the board to let him see his plans through. Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe were among the academy players promoted to the first team.