Tears filled Mikel Arteta’s eyes. Twenty-two years of anticipation, hurt, hope, failure and everything in between at Arsenal had ended with the Premier League title.

The days of sitting 10th in the table or consistently finishing runners-up are over. Captain Martin Odegaard led the trophy lift in front of a crowd filled with thousands of Gunners fans.

Some supporters had even snuck into the Crystal Palace home end in security hi-vis jackets. Desperate times call for desperate measures for a match every Arsenal fan would have given anything to be here for.

Fireworks and plumes of red smoke filled the air. Selhurst Park even played the cult Arsenal anthem, North London Forever, on the stadium speakers.

It was that kind of occasion, starting around 7pm and lasting nearly an hour. The players did not want to leave the pitch – and you could not blame them. For all the accusations across the season of being bottlers or perennial bridesmaids, this was their moment to take in the adulation.

They paraded the trophy with a whole entourage of family members, before taking individual pictures with their medals off the pitch.

Twenty-two years of anticipation, hurt, hope, failure and everything in between at Arsenal had ended with the Premier League title 

For all the accusations across the season of being bottlers or perennial bridesmaids, this was their moment to take in the adulation

The north London club’s togetherness could be seen through its staff members wearing a jersey with an Arsenal player’s name on the backs. 

Even as Piero Hincapie lifted the trophy, Ben White tried to pull his shorts down. It’s that camaraderie which helped architect their title. 

Arteta sprinted to the toilets outside the press conference room afterwards, before addressing the press in an Arsenal jersey, wearing a winner’s medal.

For a man who can be so intense and guarded in his answers, he looked like a different person – a man freed from the weight of expectations having been fully lifted.

He said: ‘Very difficult to put it into words, but yeah, what a moment. A lot of emotions, a lot of joy, pride. I think the manner in which we’ve done it represents what the guys are feeling and the reason why this magic happened.’

Beforehand, Arteta, alongside co-chair Josh Kroenke, CEO Richard Garlick and sporting director Andrea Berta, jumped repeatedly in front of the crowd. Even Stan Kroenke was there.

Berta, who had been waiting on the pitch with a champagne bottle, was among the first Arsenal figures to leave the pitch afterwards – before returning in his suit; ever the businessman. The players lingered on the pitch for over an hour, soaking in an achievement the club had waited two decades for.

Arteta ran around like a child, twirling in circles with the trophy in his hands before lifting it aloft. His wife, Lorena Bernal, and three sons were alongside him as he welled up from the enormity of what he had achieved.

The excitement had built since Manchester City’s draw with Bournemouth on Tuesday night, which confirmed the Gunners as champions.

On that night, hundreds of thousands of Arsenal fans swarmed outside the Emirates; the same happened tonight in north London.

Of the lucky ones who got into Selhurst Park, they had memories to last a lifetime.

Arteta ran around like a child, twirling in circles with the trophy in his hands before lifting it aloft

The Arsenal nucleus revolves around players who have potentially not even reached their peak years yet 

The highs and lows to get to this point had been immeasurable. Their title dream was seemingly floored at Wolves in February, a 2-2 draw conceded in injury time.

Four league victories followed – before defeats to Bournemouth and Manchester City nearly capsized Arsenal’s ship.

Yet this squad showed their nerve to steady themselves and get back on course to end a two-decade wait.

Arsenal’s season, in many ways, is a story of fortitude. Those three years as successive league runners-up had not deterred Arteta or his players. It only made them more insatiable to go one better this time.

Arteta candidly admitted on Thursday that he had previously questioned whether he was good enough to bring major silverware to north London. For a manager who publicly appears so adamant in his convictions, it offered a glimpse of how much all of this had taken its toll on him.

The pressure had been stifling. More than the jibes themselves, the expectations from the Gunners fanbase had reached a crescendo this season.

Those long years since 2004 waiting in the shadows of Man City (eight league titles), Chelsea (five) and Manchester United (five) felt heavy.

Now, for their rivals, the prospect of a dynasty is a frightening one. The Arsenal nucleus revolves around players who have potentially not even reached their peak years yet.

Bukayo Saka and William Saliba are both 24. Declan Rice and Martin Ødegaard are both 27. That is before taking into account Max Dowman, the 16-year-old mercurial talent who started today, and Cristhian Mosquera, 21, who was registered with the Under-21s this season.

Arteta has not just built a title winning team – he may have built the next era. With Pep Guardiola leaving Man City, Arne Slot’s Liverpool future precarious, and Xabi Alonso facing a real job transforming Chelsea, the path towards a title stronghold is there for the taking.

Arteta strolled into Selhurst Park with a grin, wearing a smart grey three-quarter zip polo shirt. The Spaniard’s business-casual attire had finally been dropped. He is a title winner now.

Arteta has not just built a title winning team – he may have built the next era

Dowman became the youngest starter in the league’s history, aged 16years and 144days, and showed glimpses of just why Arteta had trusted him

Berta opted for a full suit in the 30-degree heat – ever the professional. 

Though unlike Berta, Gabriel Heinze decided not to join in with trophy lift, staying on the sidelines instead.

In terms of the game itself, Arsenal shut out a late Palace comeback, their minds already having shifted to lifting the title.

Gabriel Jesus’ goal on 42 minutes, sneaking the ball past goalkeeper Dean Henderson’s near post, set the Gunners on their way.

Dowman provided a sumptuous backheel flick in the build-up to the Brazilian’s goal on a historic personal afternoon.

He became the youngest starter in the league’s history, aged 16years and 144days, and showed glimpses of just why Arteta had trusted him. Dowman will no doubt achieve further prominence next season.

Jesus had squandered three chances in the first half hour. Noni Madueke struck, and then Palace mounted a fightback late on, buoyed by the desire to give the departing Oliver Glasner the send-off he deserved.

Jean-Philippe Mateta headed home Yeremy Pino’s cross on 89 minutes to ignite hope – before Pino’s strike was chalked off by VAR.

Arsenal are champions. The end.