When did Arsenal last win the Premier League? How their title drought compares to England’s biggest clubs

Arsenal are two games away from clinching the Premier League title for the first time since 2004. Victories over Burnley and Crystal Palace will guarantee the Gunners’ 22-year championship drought comes to an end, although Mikel Arteta’s team may not even need to win both of their final games depending on how Manchester City, who are two points behind, fare against Bournemouth and Aston Villa.

If Arsenal do finally get over the line after more than two decades, the scenes of euphoria on the red side of North London are unlikely to match anywhere across Europe in the next few weeks. But how does the Gunners’ drought compare to the Premier League’s other big names, all of whom have had their own spells in the doldrums in modern times?

Manchester United’s post-Ferguson wait

After Arsenal, Manchester United are the next ‘big six’ club to have endured the longest wait for a Premier League title. It is well-documented that the Red Devils have not won the league since Sir Alex Ferguson retired at the end of the 2012-13 season, 13 years ago.

Incidentally, Ferguson’s first title with United, clinched in 1992-93, ended a drought of 26 years, stretching back to 1967.

Liverpool’s 30-year gap

Liverpool endured a similar period without success. The dominant English club in the 1970s and 80s, the Anfield side failed to win a league title for 30 years, between 1990 and 2020. They then only had to wait five years for the next one to come along.

City and Chelsea’s modern rise

Manchester City and Chelsea are relatively recent additions to the Premier League elite, which is reflected in their long gaps without league titles before their modern-era dominance.

Prior to winning the 2011-12 title, City had gone 44 years without being crowned champions, since 1968.

Chelsea’s 2005 triumph was just their second ever and came exactly 50 years after their first in 1955. The Blues most recent victory came in 2017, nine years ago.

Tottenham’s enduring wait

Tottenham Hotspur, despite significant struggles in recent years, are also commonly included as part of the ‘big six.’ Spurs have only ever won two league titles, the second of which came 65 years ago in 1961.

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