For a few seconds, the miracle that Mikel Arteta and Arsenal fans so craved seemed as if it might happen. As Takehiro Tomiyasu was slamming home an emphatic equaliser against Everton, rumours that West Ham had scored a second goal to peg back Manchester City began to sweep through the Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal, having surprisingly found themselves trailing to Idrissa Gueye’s free-kick that deflected off the head of the unfortunate Declan Rice, suddenly had hope of ending their 20-year wait to become Premier League champions. They almost matched Pep Guardiola’s side stride for stride this season, but the brutal reality that City do not falter at the final hurdle was made clear when news of Rodri’s goal, which sealed an unprecedented fourth straight title, was confirmed just before the hour.
