Granit Xhaka, Thomas Partey, Other Ex-Arsenal Stars Who Contributed to Premier League Title Win
- Arsenal are Premier League champions for the fourth time of being in the title race under Mikel Arteta
- The Gunners finally laid their hands on the trophy after 22 years following their win over Crystal Palace
- Some players have left the club in the past seasons, but would be fondly remembered as part of the win
Arsenal are finally Premier League champions after being in the title race for the fourth consecutive season under manager Mikel Arteta.
The Gunners lifted the trophy for the first time in 22 years after beating Crystal Palace 2-1 at Selhurst Park on the final day of the season on May 24, 2026.
Source: Getty Images
Arsenal were confirmed as champions before the final day after challengers Manchester City failed to beat Bournemouth on Tuesday, May 19, 2026.
Arteta is in his seventh year at the club, having taken over in 2019 and masterminded a rebuild, and has finished second in three consecutive seasons before finally winning.
Some players were part of the team during the three seasons, but have unfortunately left before the Gunners finally won the title, and represent an important part in the club’s history.
Ex-Arsenal stars who contributed to title
Even though they will not receive a medal and be written as part of the title-winning squad, these players played a key role in the process that led to the title.
Granit Xhaka was one of the players Arteta met at the club and transformed. He was part of the team that lost the title to Manchester City in the 2022/23 season. He left afterwards and won the Bundesliga title unbeaten with Bayer Leverkusen.
He is back in the Premier League and captained the newly promoted side, Sunderland, to qualify for the UEFA Europa League in their first season back. Xhaka sent a message to Arteta after Arsenal were confirmed as champions.
Thomas Partey formed a midfield duo with Xhaka, and many fans blamed his injuries for collapsing their title race on multiple occasions. He left the club at the start of this season and moved to Villarreal, helping the club finish third in La Liga.
Oleksandr Zinchenko was another important player who left the club before the title win. As noted by Mirror UK, he was influential in changing the mentality in the dressing room during his time.
Source: Getty Images
Academy graduates Emile Smith-Rowe, Eddie Nketiah, and Reiss Nelson also played critical roles during the struggling years, which finally yielded fruit.
Other players like Jakub Kiwior, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Mohamed Elneny, Aaron Ramsdale, Fabio Viera, Pablo Mari, and Kieran Tierney all played crucial roles under Arteta.
As noted by Sky Sports, Bukayo Saka is the only player Arteta met at the club who is still part of his team and contributed to winning the Premier League title.
10 defining moments in Arsenal's victory
Legit.ng previously analysed the 10 defining moments that contributed to Arsenal’s Premier League title victory for the first time in 22 years.
The Gunners proved their title credentials with some key moments where they dug in and won in difficult conditions, which eventually helped them win.
Source: Legit.ng
