No championship in 21 years! What football epics are hidden behind the Gunners fifth runner-up?

On August 25, 2025, the new Premier League season rekindled, and Arsenal led the standings with two consecutive wins and zero goals conceded. However, in the city's football memory, there is always an lingering regret that is lingering - since the "unbeaten championship" in the 2003/04 season, the Gunners have been inseparable from the Premier League champion for 21 consecutive years. During this long wait, they ranked second five times, including the dramatic subversion of the "Blue Fox Miracle" and the bitter cycle of Sanlianya.

Five runner-up: Super long standby wait

Arsenal's Premier League runner-up list can be regarded as a history of the rise and fall of the Premier League:

2004/05 Season: After 83 points, it became the first runner-up in the history of the Premier League to win the championship unbeaten.

2015/16 season: Leicester City staged a 5,000:1 "Blue Fox Miracle" to win the championship, and Arsenal drowned with 71 points.

2022/23 season: 84 points set the highest points in the Premier League in history, but still lost to Manchester City with 5 points.

2023/24 season: 89 points hit a new high, losing to Manchester City by two points.

2024/25 season: 74 points ended with three consecutive rounds, ending the "devil schedule" defeat curse against Manchester City and Liverpool for three consecutive seasons.

Blue Fox Miracle: The "Black Swan" that rewrites the Premier League pattern

Leicester City won the championship in the 2015/16 season, and is still the most shocking story in the Premier League. This "civilian team" that was predicted to be relegated before the season signed grassroots players such as Vardy and Mahrez for 1 million euros, and finally topped the record with 22 wins, 11 draws and 5 losses. Arsenal had superstars such as Sanchez and Ozil at that time, but lost points in the key championship game. Celebrity Ian Wright once lamented: "That year, Arsenal proved that the superstar policy sometimes could not defeat luck."

Three consecutive spells: Struggle under the shadow of the old enemy

In the past three seasons, Arsenal's collapse mode is exactly the same:

2022/23 season: 5 points ahead of Manchester City and entered April, but lost to Crystal Palace and West Ham United in a row, and was eventually overtaken.

2023/24 season: In direct dialogue with Manchester City, it is difficult to stop Guardiola's Blue Moon Dynasty.

2024/25 season: The key battles against Liverpool and Newcastle have repeatedly "fallen" and finally won the runner-up with 74 points.

Data reveals the cruel reality: Arsenal has lost all at the Etihad Stadium (Home Games in Manchester City), Anfield (Home Games in Liverpool), with only 1 win in the key championship win rate of only 33%.

Breakthrough: Arteta's youth storm

In the new season, Arsenal is under the pressure of "end the 21-year championship drought". Coach Arteta's reform has begun to show results:

defense upgrade: Gabriel's defense line averaged only 0.89 goals per game, setting the best team history.

Midfield Control: The combination of Rice + Odegao contributed 12 key interceptions, with the interception rate first in the Premier League.

Controversy in the signing: Yorke and Zubimendi, introduced by 200 million euros, have not yet proved their value, and the forwards rely on Saka's single-point blast.

Legend Perspective:

Former Arsenal legend Ian Wright pointed out in "Sky Sports": "What Arsenal needs is a final scorer, not a 10 average rotation. Think about Tottenham's Kane, he can change the game alone."

21 years of waiting, when will it end? From Highbury to Emirates Stadium, Arsenal's Champions League trophy showroom has become more and more gorgeous, but the lack of Premier League champions has always been a thorn in the hearts of fans.

Can the Gunners break the "runner's curse" in the 2025/26 season? The answer may be hidden in the key battle in September - the tough battle against Manchester City and Liverpool will be the ultimate test of Arteta and this team.

Which do you think Arsenal will be the final place this season?

When the spotlight of the grievances of wealthy families goes out, the sweat of the grassroots stadium is still boiling, Xiao Li will reveal the secrets: those secret battles of the stadium that are ignored by the camera, the game of interests behind the "plastic brotherhood", and even... the real football story will always happen after the referee's whistle sounds. Follow the editor and let "Xiao Li" become the "green truth excavator" in your heart!