Arsenal have finally ended a 22-year wait to win another Premier League title.
Since their last top-flight success in 2003/04, the Gunners have gone through what former chief executive Vinai Venkatesham described in 2020 as "the most challenging period" in the club's history but at long last, they have finally returned to the summit of English football.
It's been a long process of improvement, especially under Mikel Arteta over the last seven years, and we take a look at a few factors that have enabled Arsenal to become the champions of England once again...
Making Arteta the undisputed king
As Pep Guardiola's storied reign as Manchester City manager comes to an end, it is entirely possible that a new dynasty, led by another Spaniard, could be set to dominate English football.
Now, whilst it might be premature to suggest that Arteta could go onto achieve even half of what Guardiola has on these shores, he is already at the top and looks destined to advance his career even further in the coming years.
And, should he plunder yet more success at the Emirates, if it hasn't already, the decision to give him ultimate say over most of the goings on at the North London club will be hailed as a masterstroke.
In 2020, the Arsenal hierarchy took the step to upgrade Arteta's job title from head coach to first-team manager.
A stance made in recognition, not just of the job he was doing in changing the way the team was playing, but also a move that acknowledged his impact at the club had reached far beyond just what was happening at the very top-level.
It's obvious to any keen watcher of the Premier League that Arteta has been able to instill a fierce culture within the club; far detached from the one he inherited.
His transformation has taken time - something ill-afforded to managers in the modern era, especially at the elite level - but now with a Premier League title under his belt, as well as a UEFA Champions League final on the horizon, Arsenal's belief in Arteta has paid off in spades.
Refining their style of play
Arsenal are often lamented for the way they play, but the simple fact is Arteta and his staff have found a way to win consistently in the most competitive league in the world.
Three consecutive Premier League runner-up finishes tell you that the Gunners were already an elite side, however, minor tweaks have finally got them over the line.
So, what's changed?
In the past, Arsenal struggled to break teams down who sit in a low block but the use of their dynamic midfield to flood early, direct balls into the channels has provided a solution to this problem.
Opponents have struggled to get properly settled into their block prior to these passes and the quality that Arsenal possess in wide areas through Bukayo Saka, Noni Madueke, Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli means that they can create goalscoring opportunities at a higher frequency than the majority of sides.
With Saka usually occupying the right-hand side, Arsenal have always looked to create through him and this season has been no different - with nearly half of all of their final third entries coming down that side of the pitch.
The next thing is obviously set-pieces.
Not only are Arsenal brilliant at scoring from them but they are also fantastic at generating a mixture of corners and wide free-kicks because of their high volume of attacks down the flanks.
Rice and Saka are brilliant technicians and have relentlessly targeted the six-yard area with wicked in-swinging deliveries. Rice is especially adept at this skill, landing an incredible 42% of his left-hand side corners into that specific area.
Then, with the likes of Gabriel, William Saliba, Riccardo Calafiori and Jurrien Timber furiously attacking those deliveries, it is always going to be a challenge for opposition defences to keep them at bay.
Recruiting for a sustained title challenge
It is logical to expect Arsenal's squad to be completely unrecognisable to the one that Arteta inherited when he took over in 2019 and, whilst that is the case, the way that they have pieced together a winning side in the resulting years has been nothing short of genius.
With this, of course, comes eye-watering figures in terms of outgoings, however, you only have to look at the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United to see that splashing the cash is only one part of trying to build success - you also have to get it right.
Arsenal's transfer strategy has been brilliant on two fronts. The first being their targeted recruitment for a certain style of play and the second, an accumulation of depth that has allowed them to sustain an elite level of football throughout the long campaign.
It was obvious to everyone last summer that the arrivals of Piero Hincapie, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Christian Norgaard, Cristhian Mosquera and Noni Madueke were specifically aimed at providing Arteta with major depth ahead of a season where the feeling was that Arsenal had to win something under the Spaniard.
Hincapie, Madueke and Mosquera have contributed hugely throughout the campaign, starting a combined 42 league matches after injuries to Ben White, Timber, Saka and Calafiori left the Gunners light at different stages throughout the season.
Even the contribution of Gabriel Jesus - often a forgotten man at times - has been crucial to their success, chipping in at crucial moments both domestically and in Europe.
Arteta and his staff have been aware for some time that a more direct style of play would be their ultimate goal and the recruitment has been completely aligned with that vision.
As well as the last summer's signings listed above, since 2023/24, Arsenal have brought in Mikel Merino, Rice, Timber, Calafiori and Viktor Gyokeres; all identified as part of a clear plan to bolster the physicality of the side.
This total alignment between recruitment and coaching has enabled Arteta and his staff to perfectly execute a certain style of play that has ultimately returned Arsenal back to the very top of the game.
