Arsenal officially won the Premier League yesterday, for the first time in 22 years.
In all honesty, 22 years is a long time for one of the biggest clubs in England to win the Premier League title, but it has finally happened for Arsenal. In that space of 22 years, a lot has happened, and just like Drake on his new album, you’re wondering, what did I miss?
The Arsenal. Your Premier League champions. pic.twitter.com/gNnfzesrhP
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) May 19, 2026
Well, here are seven things that have happened since Arsenal last won the Premier League, when the invincibles lifted the trophy in 2004.
1. The Birth, Life, and Dominance of the iPhone
When Arsène Wenger’s men went unbeaten, mobile technology peaked at the Nokia 3220, the one with the flashing rubber grips on the side.
Steve Jobs hadn’t even uttered the word “iPhone” yet.
Since 2004, Apple has released over 40 different versions of the iPhone, going from iPhone 1 to iPhone 17, which is the latest release.
We went from physical keyboards to touchscreens, from no cameras to triple-lens setups that can shoot cinema-quality movies, and from headphone jacks to charging hundreds of pounds for wireless earbuds. Entire generations have grown up, scrolled through TikTok, and upgraded their phones fifteen times while Arsenal’s Premier League trophy cabinet has remained exactly the same.
2. Manchester City Broke the Game
In 2004, Manchester City finished 16th in the Premier League, just three points above the relegation zone, boasting a squad featuring the likes of Robbie Fowler and Joey Barton. They weren’t even a blip on Arsenal’s radar.
Since then, City got a massive financial takeover, hired Pep Guardiola, and turned the Premier League into their personal playground. They have won over 8 Premier League titles and finally secured that elusive Champions League trophy.
🚨 𝗗𝗜𝗗 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗞𝗡𝗢𝗪: Under Pep Guardiola, Manchester City have closed the gap with Manchester United’s legacy dramatically.
They went from 11 Premier League trophies away, to just 5. (Counting Premier League titles only, officially existing since 1992.)
They went from 7… pic.twitter.com/elXwWTUOtp
— The Touchline | 𝐓 (@TouchlineX) May 20, 2026
In the time it took Arsenal to transition from competing for titles to competing for “Top Four finishes,” City built a footballing dynasty from scratch.
3. Chelsea Conquered Europe—Twice
Back in 2004, Chelsea were just starting the Roman Abramovich revolution and had zero Champions League trophies to their name. Arsenal fans could still comfortably banter their London rivals about European pedigree.
That banter has officially expired. Since Arsenal’s last league title, Chelsea have won the Premier League five times and won the UEFA Champions League twice (2012 and 2021). The Blues have hired and fired about 20 different managers, spent billions of pounds, undergone another ownership change, and still managed to become Kings of Europe twice while Arsenal stayed domestic.
The Blues have basically won it all, adding their Conference League trophy, and Arsenal are yet to lay their hands on a European trophy.
CHELSEA ARE THE FIRST TEAM IN FOOTBALL TO HAVE WON IT ALL
— Dubois (@CFC_Dubois) May 28, 2025
4. Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi Finished Football
When Arsenal last won the league, a teenage Cristiano Ronaldo was just a flashy winger at Manchester United with too many step-overs, and a 16-year-old Lionel Messi hadn’t even made his official first-team debut for Barcelona.
Since that fateful day, the two icons created the greatest rivalry in sporting history. They have won a combined 13 Ballon d’Or awards, scored over 1,600 goals, won a mountain of Champions League trophies, and Messi even completed the script by lifting the World Cup.
Argentina’s moment. 🏆#FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/rAWuwPC88W
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) December 18, 2025
Both players have literally reached the absolute pinnacle of football, aged out of the European game, and moved to America and Saudi Arabia to retire, all during the current Arsenal drought.
5. Twitter was Invented, Changed the World, and Became “X”
In 2004, if you wanted to complain about a referee’s decision, you had to shout at the television or complain to your mates at the pub. Social media, as we know it, did not exist.
Since the Invincibles era, a little platform called Twitter was created (2006), evolved into the global town square for football banter, birthed “Arsenal Twitter” (arguably the most passionate and reactionary fanbase on Earth), and was eventually bought by Elon Musk and rebranded to X.
An entire digital ecosystem was born, thrived, and changed its identity before Arsenal could change their title count.
6. Leicester City Did the Impossible
Perhaps the most brutal reality check for the Emirates faithful is the story of Leicester City. In 2004, the Foxes were relegated from the Premier League.
In the years that followed, Leicester dropped all the way down to League One (the third tier of English football), got promoted back to the Championship, made it back to the Premier League, narrowly avoided relegation, and then pulled off the 5,000-to-1 miracle to win the Premier League title in 2016.
La chance de Leicester City de gagner la Premier League était de 5000 contre 1. C’était la plus grosse côte de l’histoire de la Premier League.
“On aurait eu plus de chances de retrouver Elvis Presley vivant. Ça revenait à parier sur l’impossible.” pic.twitter.com/zfXxMS7ZVD
— Netflix France (@NetflixFR) May 19, 2026
They even threw in an FA Cup win a few years later for good measure. Leicester literally completed the ultimate footballing fairy tale while Arsenal were still trying to perfect the “Wengerball” passing sequence.
7. The Entire Marvel Cinematic Universe Was Born, Peaked, and Reset
When Arsenal fans were celebrating their 2004 triumph, the closest thing we had to a modern superhero movie was Tobey Maguire crying in Spider-Man 2. The concept of a multi-billion-dollar shared cinematic universe didn’t exist.
Since then, Marvel Studios launched Iron Man (2008), built a massive 30+ film franchise, concluded the epic Infinity Saga with Thanos turning half the universe to dust, and has now moved so far into the Multiverse that there are literally alternate realities where Arsenal have won the league.
Robert Downey Jr. started a franchise, retired a legend, and came back as a completely different character before the Premier League trophy returned to North London.
