Scholes Softens Stance on Arsenal's Uninspiring Title Triumph

Paul Scholes has offered a grudging reassessment of Arsenal's Premier League triumph, conceding that perhaps he came down rather heavily on the Gunners during their push for glory.

The Manchester United legend had been scathing in March, declaring that none of the title contenders deserved to win the league this season. At that point, with Arsenal sitting pretty in the title race, Scholes argued the trophy shouldn't even be handed out, lamenting the absence of flowing football from any of the challengers.

But with Arsenal having now clinched their first Premier League crown in 22 years following Sunday's victory over Crystal Palace, Scholes has softened his tone somewhat. Speaking on The Good, the Bad and the Football podcast this week, he acknowledged his earlier assessment may have been overly critical.

"It wasn't the most entertaining, but when you look back, there was a lot of pressure from them to get over the line," Scholes reflected. "They've done it in a different way and you can see that. I was a bit harsh and a bit tough."

The former United midfielder recognised the difficulty inherent in winning the Premier League, particularly for a club ending a 22-year wait. "It's not easy to win the Premier League," he noted. "Getting over the line is so big, doing it for the first time."

Scholes nonetheless suggested Arsenal's path to the title had been marked by pragmatism rather than panache, with the Gunners facing considerable scrutiny throughout the campaign for their reliance on set-pieces and perceived lack of creative flair. Yet he remained optimistic about their prospects going forward.

"I think they will get better, they have the players to get better, they will still need to sign players, but the question now is can they go on and dominate English football," he said.

Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard, meanwhile, was still processing the magnitude of the achievement. After the final whistle against Crystal Palace, the Norwegian international struggled to articulate the emotional weight of finally ending the club's title drought.

"It feels unreal – hard to put it into words, but just so proud, happy and emotional," Odegaard said. "It's a crazy, crazy feeling. Walking up towards the trophy and just realising everything is a mad feeling. I'm just so proud of everyone for the way we did it and everything we've been through, and to finally get over the line just means the world to everyone."