Arsenal title makes Arteta 2nd-youngest Premier League winning manager | OneFootball

Mikel Arteta has become the second-youngest manager to win the Premier League after guiding Arsenal to their first league title in 22 years.

Arsenal were confirmed as champions on Tuesday, 18 May 2026, when Manchester City were held to a 1-1 draw by Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium.

Eli Junior Kroupi put the home side ahead six minutes before half-time and, although Erling Haaland scored a 95th-minute equaliser, City could not find the winner they needed to take the title race to the final weekend.

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The result left Arsenal on 82 points, four clear with one game remaining, and confirmed their 14th English top-flight title, sending North London wild.

For Arteta, it is an historic personal achievement.

He was handed the Arsenal job having never previously managed a senior team, and has now joined a small group of managers to win the English league title in their first managerial post, following on from former Arsenal managers Bertie Mee, Tom Whittaker, George Allison and Joe Shaw, who achieved the feat before him.

At 44 years and 54 days old, Arteta is now the youngest Arsenal manager to win the league championship, just ahead of George Graham, who was 124 days older when he led the club to the title in 1988/89, taking it from the last manager to win it in his first job – Kenny Dalglish. He was just 17 days older than Arteta is now.

Only Jose Mourinho has won the Premier League at a younger age, having done so with Chelsea in 2004/05 at 42 years and 94 days.

As mentioned, Arteta’s title places him ahead of Dalglish, who was 44 years and 71 days old when he won the Premier League in 1994/95, Arne Slot, who was 46 years and 222 days old in 2024/25, Pep Guardiola, who was 47 years and 87 days old in 2017/18, and Roberto Mancini, who was 47 years and 168 days old when he won it in 2011/12.

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He is also only the second person to play in the Premier League and later win it as a manager, following Mancini, who played for Leicester City in 2001 before guiding City to their first Premier League title 11 years later. Guardiola is the only other Spanish manager to lift the trophy, but Arteta is the first to do it in England with the same club he represented as a player.

Arsenal’s route to the title was not smooth. They led the table for nearly all the season, but their lead was threatened in April when defeat to City at the Etihad followed an earlier loss to Bournemouth.

Arteta’s side responded by winning next last four league matches without conceding a goal, while watching City slip at Bournemouth after they also dropped points at Everton, thanks to Arteta’s besties, Andoni Iraola and David Moyes.

The trophy will be presented at Selhurst Park on Sunday after Arsenal’s final match against Crystal Palace.

Arsenal are third on the all-time list of English champions, behind Manchester United and Liverpool, who both have 20.