Manchester City legend Joe Hart praised Arsenal’s shrewd transfer business after the club’s title win, picking out David Raya, Kai Havertz and Noni Madueke as players who have ‘stepped up’ to silence their doubters.
Arsenal banished the memories of three successive runners-up finishes to be crowned champions with a game to spare as Manchester City were held away to Bournemouth on Tuesday night.
There were raucous celebrations as Arsenal supporters descended on the Emirates in their droves to soak up the club’s first league triumph in 22 years.
Meanwhile, Mikel Arteta’s jubilant players gathered to enjoy the moment together at the club’s training complex in London Colney, with both Piero Hincapie and Declan Rice taking the opportunity to poke fun at City after their slip-up.
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The Gunners now has the luxury of being able to rest their key men when they take to the field for their last remaining match of the Premier League campaign away to Crystal Palace on Sunday afternoon.
Once the dust has settled on Arsenal’s celebrations, Arteta and his troops will look to focus their attentions on what promises to be an intriguing Champions League final against the holders PSG, with a historic double within their grasp.
‘It’s a huge statement,’ former City and England goalkeeper Hart said of Arsenal’s achievement on the BBC’s Match of the Day programme.
‘We all know the rollercoaster that Mikel Arteta has been on at Arsenal in terms of people getting frustrated.
‘The modern way that football is, once you don’t win it one, two or three times, “Get him out, we need someone else in!”, but Arsenal have remained solid, Mikel Arteta has remained solid.
‘Most of those players have bought into the football club, particularly by him, players that he believes in, and that’s allowed him to get to this huge moment.
‘And not only are they Premier League champions, they’re Champions League finalists as well.’
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Eyebrows were raised when Arsenal brought in Raya from Brentford back in 2023, but the Spaniard has gone on to establish himself as arguably the most complete goalkeeper in English football over the last three seasons.
Hart applauded Raya for the way he has answered those questioning his arrival, before picking out Havertz and Madueke as two other divisive signings who have gone on to play a role in the club’s success.
‘There were very, very few people going, “Yeah, I think that [Raya] is a brilliant signing”, there’s always been something,’ Hart said.
‘You look at the Kai Havertz goal the other night and how important he’s been, bringing him over from Chelsea and Madueke, bringing him over from Chelsea.
‘Just literally question mark after question mark and every single one of them stepped up, particularly in this season.
‘It’s not been a clear run, they’ve had injuries, they’ve had defensive frailties, they’ve had problems.
‘It’s such a fine line in the Premier League, we’ve seen so many people go the other way, sacked, out the door, but look, Premier League champions and it’s a great achievement.’
How many times have Arsenal won the Premier League?
Arsenal clinching the title this season brings an end to a 22-year wait for the Premier League title – and stands as the fourth time they have won it.
They have won the following Premier League titles:
- 1997/98
- 2001/02
- 2003/04
- 2025/26
Prior to the top flight becoming the Premier League, Arsenal won the top-level English title 10 times prior in the following seasons:
- 1930/31
- 1932/33
- 1933/34
- 1934/35
- 1937/38
- 1947/48
- 1952/53
- 1970/71
- 1988/89
- 1990/91
Keep up to date with the latest Arsenal news and celebrations here.
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It’s back to the drawing board for City, who came up short in pursuit of a domestic treble in what will reportedly be the final season of Pep Guardiola’s illustrious decade-long stay at the Etihad.
But while City are also set to lose two figureheads in John Stones and Bernardo Silva, Hart has no doubts that his former club will have ‘plans in place’ to cope.
‘It’s a big three [to lose] but that’s the revolving door that goes on at Manchester City and they make plans for this,’ the two-time Premier League winner explained.
‘They have the discussions for this and I’m sure Pep Guardiola will be heavily involved in the succession plan for him because he wants the club to continue.
‘The people above him realise that this isn’t just Pep Guardiola, this is Manchester City Football Club and that’s far more important. So the plans will be in place.’
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