They’ve won a few other pieces of silverware since they last lifted the league title, but when did that happen?
Having learned the trade of coaching under the watchful eye of Arsene Wenger and Pep Guardiola, Mikel Arteta has been tasked with returning Arsenal to their former glory.
The former Gunners captain won a trophy in his first season at the helm, clinching the club’s 14th FA Cup trophy, but the chief expectation of the Spaniard is to build a team capable of challenging for the league.
Arsenal have lingered too long in the shadows of Manchester United, Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool, while even their bitter rivals Tottenham have seemingly moved ahead.
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As Arteta attempts to end a long wait for Premier League glory, Goal takes a look at when the north London side last won the competition.
Contents
- When did Arsenal last win the Premier League?
- How many league titles have Arsenal won?
- Which other trophies have Arsenal won?
When did Arsenal last win the Premier League?
Arsenal last won the Premier League in the 2003-04 season. That means fans have been waiting over 15 years for league success.
It was their 13th English league title and the achievement was made all the more remarkable by dint of the fact they went the whole season unbeaten.
Under the stewardship of the inimitable Arsene Wenger, Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira, Dennis Bergkamp and Co. became known as ‘The Invincibles’ following their feat that season.
The Gunners won 26 games and drew 12 on their way to glory, finishing the campaign with a total of 90 points – putting them 11 points clear of second-placed Chelsea.
The title was wrapped up with four games to spare and the icing on the cake was that they were crowned champions at White Hart Lane, the home of bitter north London rivals Tottenham having secured a decisive point.
How many league titles have Arsenal won?
Arsenal have won a total of 13 league titles, three of which have come in the Premier League era, post-1992.
They are the third most successful club in England in terms of league titles, behind Manchester United and Liverpool.
The North London club have been competing in England’s top division for over a century now, having remarkably maintained their status uninterrupted since the 1919-20 season.
However, they did not manage to win their first league title until the 1930-31 season. The Gunners were dominant during the 1930s, winning a total of five titles before the outbreak of the Second World War.
Arsenal won their sixth league title in 1947-48 and their seventh five seasons later in 1952-53, but they endured a lengthy barren spell in the two decades which followed.
They eventually won the First Division again in 1970-71, 18 years after their previous triumph, and they were forced to wait another 18 years for their next title, which came in 1988-89, under George Graham.
Graham led Arsenal to their 10th league title when they topped the 1990-91 First Division ahead of Liverpool – despite being sanctioned with a points deduction and being without captain Tony Adams for four months.
The early years of the Premier League era, as it is now known, were characterised by the intense rivalry between Wenger’s Arsenal and Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United.
While the Red Devils undoubtedly came out on top overall, Arsenal secured three Premier Leagues under Wenger, the first of which came in the 1997-98 season, a year which saw them do the double by winning the FA Cup.
They won the league and FA Cup double again in 2001-02, with the last title triumph perhaps being the most spectacular as they went unbeaten in 2003-04.
Which other trophies have Arsenal won?
| Competition | No. of titles | Years won |
|---|---|---|
| Premier League / First Division | 13 | 1930-31, 1932-33, 1933-34, 1934-35, 1937-38, 1947-48, 1952-53, 1970-71, 1988-89, 1990-91, 1997-98, 2001-02, 2003-04 |
| FA Cup | 14 | 1929-30, 1935-36, 1949-50, 1970-71, 1978-79, 1992-93, 1997-98, 2001-02, 2002-03, 2004-05, 2013-14, 2014-15, 2016-17, 2019-20 |
| League Cup | 2 | 1986-87, 1992-93 |
| Community Shield / Charity Shield | 16 | 1930, 1931, 1933, 1934, 1938, 1948, 1953, 1991*, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2004, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2020 |
| Cup Winners Cup | 1 | 1993-94 |
| Inter-Cities Fairs Cup | 1 | 1969-70 |
*shared with Tottenham.
As well as 13 league titles, Arsenal have been successful in a number of other national and continental competitions.
They hold the record for most FA Cup successes, having won the competition 14 times, but they have had much less joy in the League Cup (now Carabao Cup) over the years, with just two triumphs.
Arsenal are the second most successful team in the history of the Community Shield behind Manchester United, having won the trophy 16 times.
The Gunners’ success on the national stage has not translated onto the continent and they have never won the Champions League or Europa League (or their forerunners the European Cup and UEFA Cup).
They have a grand total of two European trophies to speak of: the 1969-70 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup and the 1993-94 UEFA Cup Winners Cup.
Arsenal reached the final of the Europa League twice: in 2000 (when it was the UEFA Cup) when they lost on penalties to Galatasaray and 2019, when they were beaten by Chelsea.
Their sole Champions League final appearance, which came in 2006, ended in heartache at the hands of Barcelona, who defeated Arsene Wenger’s side 2-1.
