If you’ve supported Arsenal since 2004, you’ve lived through the full spectrum: euphoria, heartbreak, memes, and finally, vindication. 22 years that aged a generation of Gooners a decade.

The High: Invincibles and the Last Dance at Highbury (2004-2005)

It started at the peak. Arsenal won the 2003/04 Premier League unbeaten - the “Invincibles” clinching it at White Hart Lane against Spurs. For months it felt like Wenger’s team couldn’t lose.

The next year gave you FA Cup glory on penalties vs. Man United in 2005, but the Champions League final in 2006 ended in tears. 10 men vs. Barcelona, leading until the 76th minute, then 1-2 loss. The last game at Highbury was a 4-2 win vs. Wigan, but you knew an era was ending.

The Drought: Emirates Move and “Top 4 Trophy” Years (2006-2013)

Moving to the Emirates was supposed to be the start of something bigger.

Instead, it became 7 years without a trophy.

You sold Henry, Vieira, Fabregas, Van Persie. You watched rivals win everything while Arsenal fought for 4th place. “St Totteringham’s Day” became an annual celebration, just finishing above Spurs. The 2008 title collapse, the 8-2 annihilation at Old Trafford in 2011, the Champions League round-of-16 exits to Bayern and Barcelona, it felt like Arsenal were a feeder club with good PR.

The False Dawns: Wenger’s Final Years (2013-2018)

FA Cup wins in 2014, 2015, and 2017 gave short bursts of relief. Beating Chelsea twice in finals felt sweet.

But the league never materialized. 2013/14’s collapse from Christmas leaders, 2015/16’s “Leicester year”, and the Europa League semi-final exits vs. Atletico and Villarreal kept the cycle going: hope in August, frustration by April.

The Rebuild: Arteta and the Dark Days (2019-2022)

Post-Wenger was messy. Emery’s 8 months, then Mikel Arteta took over in Dec 2019. You won the FA Cup in 2020 vs. Chelsea behind closed doors, but league form was mid-table.

2020/21 and 2021/22 were about surviving. The 2022 North London Derby loss that cost you Champions League qualification was brutal. For a while it felt like Arsenal had lost their identity.

The Heartbreak: So Close, Again (2022-2025)

Then the turnaround.

2022/23: You led the league for 248 days, the longest without winning it. Man City overtook you late. 84 points and 2nd place felt like failure.

2023/24: Improved to 89 points, won the Community Shield on pens vs. City, but finished 2nd again.

2024/25: Reached the Champions League semi-final for the first time since 2009, lost 3-1 on agg to PSG. Finished 2nd in the league behind Liverpool with 74 points. “Nearly men” was back in the vocabulary.

The Release: Champions Again (2025/26)

And then it happened.

Arsenal beat Burnley 1-0 in May 2026, Havertz scoring the winner. On 19 May 2026, Bournemouth drew 1-1 with Man City, and Arsenal were confirmed Premier League champions with one game to spare.

First title since 2004. 22 years later. Arteta, who spent years in Guardiola’s shadow, finally stepped out of it. The set-piece coach, the defensive solidity, the pragmatism, it all clicked.

Arsenal finished with 82 points from 37 games, top of the table. No unbeaten run this time, but no collapse either.

What it felt like:

From “Wenger Out” protests, to “Trust the Process” memes, to watching your kids now celebrate what you waited half your life for. It’s been humiliation, hope, and heartbreak in equal measure. Arsenal fans know what it’s like to build something for years only to see it slip at the last hurdle.

But that’s why 19 May 2026 hits different. The rollercoaster finally stopped at the top.