Mikel Merino has highlighted the turning point in Arsenal’s 2025/26 season, and revealed that Mikel Arteta moved training to let the squad watch the title-clinching Manchester City game.
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Plenty of Arsenal fans probably have different opinions on exactly when the 2025/26 Premier League title was won.
Perhaps for the majority, it was only on the day it became mathematically certain. Maybe for some it was after Arsenal saw out the 1-0 win over Burnley. Maybe it was when Leandro Trossard scored against West Ham United, or when West Ham’s equaliser was ruled out by VAR.
Or maybe it was even back when City suffered their first big slip, drawing 3-3 with Everton despite having their fate in their own hands.
Most probably wouldn’t pick February 19th, 2026, the day after Arsenal’s 2-2 draw with Wolves. But Mikel Merino believes that was the turning point.
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“All we heard was ‘same old Arsenal’,” Merino said of the game. “To be honest, there were doubts inside the team too. Giving away a 2–0 lead should never happen.
“But the day after the game, the players had a meeting inside the dressing room, without the boss. Everyone spoke up. Nobody talked about tactics. This was about how a group of human beings handle adversity together.
“I spoke about how I saw the team from the outside, and I said that this was something we as players had to handle, because the boss couldn’t do everything for us. When one person has so many tasks at one club, you need leaders who can figure things out on their own.
“In my view, that was the day we won the title. Even when we lost to Bournemouth and City, that meeting kept us together.”
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Exactly three months later, Arsenal really were on the verge of winning the title. Having won that game against Burnley, the Gunners just needed Manchester City to drop points against Bournemouth.
Merino has revealed that Arsenal were meant to be in training at that time, but Mikel Arteta switched up the schedule so they could watch the game instead.
“Once we knew that City had to win their next game to stay in the race, the boss pushed training back so that we could watch it together at Colney,” Merino said. “We must have been a hundred people in the dining hall: players, staff, cooks, all celebrating throw-ins and shouting at the ref.
“When Bournemouth scored, I got up and went for a walk. I love to analyse the tactics, but this time I had to calm down. Then City equalised, and I had my heart in my throat, hammering away at 200 beats per minute.
“The next thing I remember is the final whistle. Screams. Hugs. Champagne. Pure joy.”
For everyone involved, the memories of that day will live on forever.
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