Arsenal have ended their 21-year wait for the Premier League title, and Michael Owen says the champions should expect their toughest test to come from just two clubs next season: Manchester City and Manchester United.
Owen said City were the likeliest threat after pushing Arsenal close this year, while United, under Michael Carrick, could also force their way into the race. Arsenal secured the title when City dropped points against Bournemouth in midweek, a result that capped a season in which the Gunners had already put the race beyond doubt with four straight wins after a 2-1 defeat to City.
The title is Arsenal’s first since 2003/04 and comes after three successive runners-up finishes, a run that had left them repeatedly short when the pressure tightened. This time, they kept their composure when it mattered most. The crown arrived not from a final-day scramble but from the combination of their own surge and City’s stumble, which gave Arsenal the margin they needed to celebrate before the season’s final stretch was complete.
Owen, who pointed to City’s depth and the progress of their younger players, said Pep Guardiola’s decision to leave this summer would not automatically end their challenge. He argued that City “ran Arsenal very close this season” and would return “stronger” after collecting two domestic cups. Liverpool, he said, can hope to join the conversation but are not there yet and would need to get everything right to be taken seriously.
United’s case is more surprising, but Owen said their form under Carrick makes them impossible to dismiss. The club have won 36 points since Carrick’s appointment in January, and they finished third after he replaced Ruben Amorim. That turnaround is the reason Owen called them “dark horses” and said they have enough in them to mount a serious challenge if the progress continues.
The broader picture is clear. Arsenal have moved from chasing a title for years to defending one, and the next race may be narrower than it looks. City remain the benchmark even with Guardiola set to depart, while United’s climb under Carrick has changed the conversation around them quickly. For Arsenal, the next season will be less about proving they can win once and more about showing the title has become theirs to keep.
