Arsenal beat Crystal Palace 2-1 to complete their season with a victory. Gabriel Jesus opened the scoring late in the first half before Noni Madueke doubled the lead from a set piece shortly after the restart. Jean-Philippe Mateta pulled one back for Palace in a tense finish, but Arsenal held on. Martin Odegaard lifted the trophy to fireworks and red smoke.
Arteta had carried the weight of three successive runners-up finishes before this season, and he admitted the emotion of finally going over the line was complicated by doubt.
"There are doubts and the understanding that maybe you are not the right person. Thanks to God that we have done it. I feel a lot of joy and a lot of relief as well. I can control a lot of things but there are things that are out of your hands — that's when you need the best people around you. Sometimes when you have doubts, it is those people that say we are going to do it and we are going to do it with you."
He immediately turned attention to what comes next.
"This shirt represents something else. Now we have the opportunity to create new history in our club. I am convinced we are going to do it."
Arsenal face Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final in Budapest on 30 May. It would be the first European Cup in the club's history. Odegaard signalled that celebrations would be deferred accordingly.
"We had a great celebration on Tuesday. The vibes are unreal. Everyone is so happy. But we have another big final in just a week, so we'll wait to party until after that. If we could do it, it would be unreal. We're living a dream."
Co-chairman Josh Kroenke, who attended with his father Stan and carried the trophy across the pitch, described this title as the most demanding of any championship the family's sporting portfolio has delivered.
"You can see, feel and hear what this means. All of the fans behind me are overcome with emotion after 22 years. If anyone deserves this, it's this group. I think it took some people a few years to realise what our investment here really meant but we have great people, players and coaches. Today is about enjoying — tomorrow we will get back to work because there is one more to play."
One more game. Budapest. The biggest prize in club football that Arsenal have never won.