After three consecutive runner-up achievements in the Premier League, Arsenal finally got it over the line in 2025-26, delivering their first title since doing the Invincible in 2003-04 more than a decade ago.

During the years they were close but weren't close enough, there were games they knew had a lot at stake but couldn't turn up, and that was the wrong they made right last season to finally conquer their own fears.

Looking back at the season, we have ranked the top 5 games that won Arsenal the 2025-26 Premier League title, games where they just had to win, given how decisive they were, and the devastating consequences of falling short.

Five Games that won Arsenal the 2025-26 Premier League 

Arsenal won 26 Premier League games, and each victory held such importance at the end of the season as they finished six points ahead of second-place Manchester City, but some were more defining than others.

14 of these wins were secured by just one-goal margins, a testament to how significant concentration was for Mikel Arteta's team as they ended a 22-year wait for the English Premier League title.

With the honorable mention of the two meetings with Brighton, the first of which the Gunners needed a spectacular David Raya save and an own goal to come out on top, and the second, their worst performance in a game they won, there are the real top five.

5. Man United 0-1 Arsenal

Winning a Premier League game at Old Trafford is a luxury for Arsenal; after all, the one secured on the opening day of the 2025-26 season was their sixth in the Premier League era, all of which have finished by the scoreline of 1-0.

It was probably one of the few games where Mikel Arteta's team were second-best all season, but despite the pressure from Manchester United's attack, especially Matheus Cunha, the Gunners secured the three points thanks to a defensive masterclass.

A defensive masterclass, which would go on to be the biggest highlight of their season, left the hosts empty-handed, even with their astonishing 22 shots, which forced David Raya into seven saves, the most he had to make in a single game all season across all competitions.

Riccardo Calafiori's early goal, albeit controversial, was all it took for Mikel Arteta to equal the number of Premier League wins Arsenal had at Old Trafford before his appointment, and it made a lot of difference in the course of their season.

Starting with a win was always going to be vital. And even though their performance was heavily criticized in the media, securing the win didn't let it affect them, and from there, the Arsenal players managed to get the job done until they ended the 22-year wait.

4. Arsenal 1-1 Manchester City

Gabriel Martinelli scored just one Premier League goal in 2025-26, and that may as well go down as the most important one of all the 71 managed by Arsenal in the competition.

Although Mikel Arteta's team were the favourites heading into the fixture, having blown City away by 5-1 in their last visit to the Emirates Stadium, Erling Haaland's early goal complicated the match, and the visitors defended well to protect the lead, until...

Desperate for an equalizer, Mikel Arteta introduced Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze after the interval, but City's defence would not be broken until the third minute of added time, when two substitutes combined for magic.

Eberechi Eze picked up the ball in Arsenal's halftime and then dinked his pass over City's high line for the run of Gabriel Martinelli, who managed to beat the offside trap before carefully firing the ball over the head of the on-rushing Gianluigi Donnarumma to level the score.

The single point picked up in that match kept Arsenal ahead of Manchester City all season and ensured that even at their worst, Pep Guardiola's team would never record more points than their own.

It was too early to conclude the significance of that point at the time, as they were left disappointed for dropping points at home, and that mentality was just what they needed to finally get it over the line, after three consecutive runner-ups.

3. Newcastle United 1-2 Arsenal

Arsenal headed to Saint James' with nothing going their way — winless in their last two Premier League games and having lost four of their five previous visits without scoring, including the last three.

They had also fallen five points behind leaders Liverpool after just five games, with the Reds matching the record for the largest gap lead by any side at that stage of any Premier League season, a start that suggested Arne Slot's team would defend their title.

To worsen Arsenal's dilemma, Newcastle United were also confident to a certain degree, having lost just once in five games across all competitions in the buildup, and gave both Liverpool and Barcelona a run for their money in their only defeats at that stage.

They also stormed into a first-half lead through Nick Woltemade, who headed home from Bruno Guimaraes's cross, adding more to Arsenal's misery having been denied a penalty earlier for a Nick Pope foul on Viktor Gyokeres.

The lead lasted for 50 minutes since it went in after the half hour before substitute Mikel Merino headed home from Declan Rice's cross to restore parity against his former club in the 84th minute, sparking an Arsenal comeback.

Again, mentality was displayed as both Declan Rice and Martin Ødegaard were seen urging their teammates to get on with the game instead of celebrating, and that urgency paid off in the final moments of the game.

2. Arsenal 4-1 Aston Villa

After the loss to Unai Emery's team at Villa Park earlier in the month, Arsenal went on to win all their five matches before the reverse fixture at the end of December, but their status as leaders was on the line as the visitors were also on a run of 12 consecutive wins.

In addition, Arsenal were just two points ahead of Manchester City and three ahead of Villa, meaning a defeat would see their opponent move level on points, while it presented another chance for Pep Guardiola's City to move top, a few days after they had led before Arsenal edged Brighton to reclaim the summit.

It was that close, and Arsenal couldn't afford any slip-up as it would conquer their belief while strengthening that of the two teams chasing them. The pressure in the media was also at its climax as narratives of them bottling their lead dominated.

But after failing to find the breakthrough in a dominant first half, Arsenal completely swept Villa off their feet with four second-half goals before the Birmingham-based club could find a response.

Gabriel Magalhaes headed home from a Bukayo Saka corner less than three minutes after the restart, and before Villa could process the setback, Martin Ødegaard played through Martin Zubimendi with a brilliant pass to slot past Martinez for 2-0.

Leandro Trossard added an astonishing third from the edge of the box before setting up substitute Gabriel Jesus for the fourth to establish a 4-0 lead before Ollie Watkins grabbed a consolation for the visitors deep into added time.

That victory not only ended Aston Villa's title charge, it also helped restore the belief of the Arsenal team, having finally toppled the team that stopped them earlier in the month, and then watched Man City hold at Sunderland a few days later.

1. West Ham United 0-1 Arsenal

The fixture that ultimately denied them the title in 2023-24, when the Hammers secured a 2-0 victory at the Emirates in December, and Arsenal went on to lose the title by two points - this time, disaster threatened, but fate saw Arsenal through.

It was one of the tensest games of the season after Manchester City's draw at Everton turned the tide back in their favour. The hosts, also battling relegation, held on very tight to a point and even had a glorious chance to take the lead in the second half, but David Raya made himself big to deny Mateus Fernandes.

The Hammers had not lost a home game in six before welcoming Arsenal, and even though the Gunners had just qualified for the Champions League, the clash of ambitions made it a very tough test, and they had won three in six previous meetings in the build-up.

They defended resolutely until the 83rd minute when time stood still. Captain Martin Ødegaard picked up possession on the edge of the box, dazzled his way through with a quick exchange with Declan Rice before teeing up Leandro Trossard for a one-time finish.

The moment was poetic, and so was the goal, but Arsenal weren't yet out of the woods, and the final seven minutes, including added time, were the tensest anyone with a connection to the North London club has had in over two decades.

In the penultimate minute of added time, Callum Wilson leveled for West Ham, but a foul on goalkeeper David Raya by Pablo saved their season, as referee Chris Kavanagh was left with no choice but to rule the goal out after being sent to the pitch-side monitor by the VAR.

“After review, West Ham number 19 commits a foul on the goalkeeper. Final decision is direct free kick.”

The statement sent the Arsenal world into a frenzy. It became iconic. They sing it. They framed it. And they will never forget.

It was the moment that they realized the title was won, as they had two games left while City had three, including dates against very in-form sides involved in Champions League qualification races, Bournemouth and Aston Villa.

Arsenal ended up winning the title a few days before the final matchday after Manchester City's draw at Bournemouth, and stretched their gap to five points on the final weekend after beating Crystal Palace, and City lost at home to Aston Villa.