22 years later: Arsenal finally silence the “bottlers” tag and return to the top
For younger supporters, this is not just another title.
When Arsenal last won the Premier League in 2004 as the unbeaten “Invincibles,” Facebook had just been created, YouTube did not exist, and two teenagers named Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi were only beginning their journeys toward football immortality.
Twenty-two years later, Arsenal are once again champions of England — and for an entire generation of supporters, this is the moment they have waited for all their lives.
May 2004 feels like another universe entirely.
Mark Zuckerberg had only just launched Facebook from a dorm room. YouTube, Twitter, iPhones and Android phones did not exist yet. Social media, as we know it today, was not part of daily life.
The hottest device of the time was the Nokia 3310, where people bought monophonic and polyphonic ringtones via SMS. Malaysia’s population stood at around 25.5 million — almost 11 million fewer than today.
Politically, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had only just become Malaysia’s fifth Prime Minister.
And in football, Arsenal were on top of England. That famous “Invincibles” side, led by Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira and Dennis Bergkamp, completed an entire Premier League season unbeaten — a feat still unmatched.
Back then, Arsenal’s current home, the Emirates Stadium, did not even exist. Today, all those players have long retired. And now, two decades later, Arsenal are back at the summit again.
For younger supporters, this is not just another title.
Some were not even born in 2004. Others were still children when Vieira lifted the trophy. Those children are now adults, having grown up through years of memes, disappointment, and near misses.
It mirrors what Liverpool fans experienced before finally winning the Premier League in 2020 after a 30-year wait.
Because truthfully, Arsenal’s last two decades were painful by elite football standards. Yes, they won FA Cups and remained a major club. But compared to the Premier League and UEFA Champions League, those achievements often felt secondary.
Their closest major European moment came in 2006, when they reached the Champions League final against Barcelona, led by a prime Ronaldinho.
After that, Arsenal slowly became known for something else entirely: almost winning.
Under Arsène Wenger between 2006 and 2018, Arsenal continued playing attractive football, but they no longer looked like champions. For many fans growing up during that era, the club became so synonymous with Wenger that some even joked they thought Arsenal was named after him.
Wenger remains Arsenal’s greatest manager, but post-Invincibles, the club often finished third or fourth — always close, never quite complete.
The football was entertaining. Players like Cesc Fàbregas, Robin van Persie, Alexis Sánchez, Mesut Özil, and Aaron Ramsey made Arsenal thrilling to watch. But defensively, they were fragile and inconsistent.
They struggled against top rivals, dropped points against weaker teams, and lacked the ruthless edge required of champions.
Then came the difficult years.
Unai Emery arrived with a strong Europa League reputation from Sevilla, but the same problems persisted. Then in 2019, Mikel Arteta took charge after working under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.
At first, progress was slow. But during the 2022/23 season, something finally clicked. Arsenal began to play with consistency and belief. The attack — led by Martin Ødegaard, Gabriel Martinelli, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus — became dynamic and fluid.
Yet each season brought familiar setbacks around March and April. That was when rival fans weaponised the word: “bottlers.”
This season, it looked like history might repeat itself. Arsenal led the table by more than 10 points at one stage before Manchester City closed the gap. When City beat Arsenal on April 19 to draw level on points, the pressure intensified.
Four straight seasons of finishing second after leading the race would have defined them. But this time, they held firm. This time, they finished the job.
Much of the credit belongs to Arteta. He made bold decisions early in his tenure, reshaping the squad and trusting younger players. Bukayo Saka, once deployed as a left wing-back wearing the number 77 shirt, has grown into one of the Premier League’s most decisive attackers.
Meanwhile, William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães have formed one of the most reliable centre-back partnerships in the league. This Arsenal side is now built on structure, discipline and defensive strength as much as attacking flair.
And while they may no longer play the free-flowing football of Wenger’s era, that argument feels increasingly irrelevant. Football history rarely remembers aesthetics alone. It remembers achievement.
Let’s be honest for a moment.
A loud minority of Arsenal fans have, at times, made exaggerated claims during the club’s recent rise:
“Arsenal are better than Real Madrid and Barcelona.” “Saka is better than Messi.” “Declan Rice is better than Scholes, Gerrard and Lampard.” “The Invincibles are the greatest team ever.”
Those statements, to put it mildly, went too far.
But football rivalries often amplify extremes. The loudest voices are not always the most representative. Many Arsenal supporters have simply enjoyed the journey, not the exaggeration.
And even among rivals, there are moments when respect outweighs banter.
This is one of them.
Even after securing the Premier League, attention quickly shifts to Europe. A Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain awaits, and they look like a formidable opponent.
Their midfield pairing of João Neves and Vitinha controls games with maturity beyond their years, while an attack featuring Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Désiré Doué and Ousmane Dembélé has the quality to trouble any defence.
Looking ahead, Arsenal will likely enter next season among the leading contenders again. But the competition remains fierce.
Manchester City will face life after Guardiola, who will leave the Citizens after dominating English football for 10 years, winning 6 EPL trophies.
Liverpool looked chaotic amid tensions involving Arne Slot and senior players, with club legends Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson reportedly leaving.
Manchester United still lacked clarity over Michael Carrick’s future, Chelsea remained unpredictable despite appointing Xabi Alonso.
And Tottenham Hotspur, well, maybe it is kinder not to say too much.
That is the Premier League — a league where predictions rarely survive reality.
And after 22 years of waiting, Arsenal no longer need validation from their past. They have earned the right to be judged by what comes next.
Not noise. Not memes. Not labels. Just results.
Download Sinar Daily application.Click Here!
