They were the reigning back to back PL champs. I am one of those people who separates on-field from off-field in terms of how I judge a player, so frankly the cheating thing(while incredibly stupid b/c dear goddd is Cheryl hot) doesn't much matter to me.  "Buying" titles doesn't really matter to me either and I don't understand the argument, as everyone is "bought" unless you develop them from the youth team.  Were Arsenal's titles with Henry and Bergkamp bought? Yes, as are Man U's with Rooney, and Man City this year, and look abroad to teams like Madrid, PSG, etc. It's simply part of sports and has been for years.