Mikel Arteta's bounce may have gone from his step as Arsenal all but saw their title hopes shattered at home to Brighton. After a season of almost unbelievable positivity, the chasmic reality between Manchester City and the rest of the league became clear once more.
Pep Guardiola's men breezed past an Everton team that became just the second side to beat Arsenal earlier this season, an Everton that had beaten Brighton last week in a 5-1 mauling by the sea. City put all of that to one side and stamped them into the carpet on their way to a fifth title in six years.
It's a tough reality to take for Arsenal, who have led the way for so much of this season, often riding a wave through the league. They weren't expected to do this and proved many who had doubted the skill of Arteta in his early months in charge wrong. The same can be said of the view of Stan Kroenke.
