Mikel Arteta on missing Arsenal's title moment

Mikel Arteta did not see the moment Arsenal were crowned champions. He left the training ground 20 minutes before the decisive Bournemouth v Manchester City game, went home, had a barbecue in the garden and did not watch the match. The news came from his eldest son, who ran into the garden and told him: “We are Champions, daddy!”

How Arteta found out

Arteta said it was “one of the best feelings I've ever had”, but he was clear about why he left. He had been supposed to stay at the training ground with the squad and staff, yet said he could not bring the energy he wanted. “It was the team's moment,” he said. “They had to be themselves. If I'm there, I don't think it would have been the same.”

That is the strongest part of his account. He did not try to claim the moment for himself, and he did not pretend he was part of the television drama. He stepped away, let the players watch it together, then had his own celebration a few hours later.

The result that finished the race

The title context is straightforward enough. Arsenal were top of the Premier League, on 82 points, with Manchester City second on 77. Bournemouth's 1-1 draw with City ended the race and delivered Arsenal their first top-flight title in 22 years.

Rodri admitted City had been short on energy after a packed run of fixtures. He said the quick turnaround made a difference, though he still finished by congratulating Arsenal and saying they would try again next season.

Arteta also called Iraola to thank him. “You almost took the Premier League away from us and now you helped us to win it on the last [week],” he said, praising the Bournemouth manager's work and wishing him well in the next chapter of his career. It also adds a personal layer, because Arteta and Iraola were born three miles and six months apart and played for the same youth team.

The title is in the books now, and so is the image of Arteta in the garden, hearing the news from his son rather than from a screen. That is the moment he will remember from Arsenal's run to the championship, and the club's next task is to turn it into a repeatable standard next season.