From the publisher:
With a foreword by Jens Lehmann
They were labelled ‘bottlers’. Season after season, they came tantalisingly close to triumph without ever making good on their promise. But as Declan Rice asserted after a potentially season-defining defeat to Manchester City: ‘It’s not done.’ Now Arsenal are Premier League champions after twenty-two long years – and this is the exclusive story of how Mikel Arteta finally transformed the Gunners into winners.
Written by the Daily Mail’s award-winning Arsenal correspondent, Isaan Khan, the book reveals how Arteta got the club over the line after more than six years of toil and setbacks. Covering Arsenal day to day over the tumultuous and historic 2025–26 season, Khan witnessed their efforts both on and off the field. He offers an unprecedented insight into Arteta’s leadership, from ruthlessly discarding big egos early in his reign and navigating fan unrest in private to candid talks with co-chair Josh Kroenke and the hidden moments he shared with players behind closed doors. Drawing on conversations from inside the training ground, Khan also explains what’s really behind Arsenal’s attacking play, including the team’s mastery of set-pieces and a back line drilled to obsessive detail.
Here is the definitive account of a tenure that returned Arsenal to the summit of world football, from nearly-men to champions. Authoritative, celebratory and packed with detail from key sources, 22 Years takes readers inside the Emirates like never before.
The author:
Isaan Khan is an award-winning football correspondent for the Daily Mail. In 2023, Isaan was named Sports Journalist of the Year at the Press Awards and Young Sports Journalist of the Year by the Sports Journalists’ Association. In 2024, he was nominated for Football Journalist of the Year. He has reported extensively on Arsenal throughout their modern era, his coverage regularly including exclusive stories and agenda-setting reporting from inside the club.
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