Well it was fun while it lasted.
Arsenal's title challenge isn't officially over after their weekend defeat to Brighton, but the fat lady is clearing her throat and preparing to crown Manchester City as champions for the fifth time in six seasons.
Ultimately the Gunners were unable to live with Pep Guardiola's relentless side across the course of the campaign, but theirs is certainly a season to be proud of.
Now to build on it.
With a Champions League to enter and a new level of expectation among Gunners fans, we asked our Mirror Football team what needs to happen at the Emirates this summer to ensure that this season doesn't become a flash in the pan.
John Cross
First things first, Arsenal have had the most incredible season.
To start the campaign with most fans wondering if they could even finish in the top four, to ending it by pushing the best team of the Premier League era all the way in the title race.
Don’t believe anyone who chucks stats at you about how many goals they have conceded in certain games. They haven’t seen enough matches.
What has undone Arsenal more than anything else is the injury to William Saliba. He was phenomenal in defence in the way that he builds up from the back, and it’s no coincidence that Arsenal’s poor run came in his absence.
There is a simple fix - and that is all about squad depth. Arsenal don’t have it. Manchester City do. They need back up and quality in key positions.
A new centre back. Declan Rice would be a brilliant signing to give them character, strength and personality in midfield.
They need a back-up for Bukayo Saka who has played way too much and now looks like he’s running on empty.
They have got a lot to build on. Mikel Arteta has laid superb, strong foundations and they can really kick on this summer and go on again next year from a position of confidence and growing belief in one of the best young managers in Europe.
Neil McLeman
Arsenal need to spend this summer as Newcastle, Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea will only get better next season.
Despite running out of steam, Mikel Arteta's side have still had an outstanding campaign but they have lacked squad depth to revitalise the team suffering from injuries and loss of form in the last month. The spine of the team needs strengthening to compete in the Premier League and Champions League.
Aaron Ramsdale is solid in goal but the loss of William Saliba had a devastating effect on a defence which has conceded 15 goals in the last seven games. Napoli's Serie A-winning Korean centre-back Kim Min-jae would be a great signing. Rob Holding is not the answer.
Declan Rice would add drive and creativity to the midfield and allow Thomas Partey, who has lost his early-season energy, and Granit Xhaka to be used more sparingly. The Swiss midfielder could be moved on with only one year left on his contract.
And former Chelsea forward Tammy Abraham, who has gained valuable European experience during his two years at Roma, would add a different option in attack to take the strain off Gabriel Jesus.
James Nursey
However disappointing Sunday must have been for Arsenal and their fans, it has still been a season of huge progress at the Emirates.
While the Gunners inevitably will have been dreaming of landing the title again this term , the only certainty is Manchester City are an awesome team who have gone to another level with Erling Haaland banging in record numbers of goals.
I hope Arsenal will analyse their season cooly and not rip up much of the good work under Mikel Arteta.
Their drop off in form at the business end of the season - with just two wins in seven Premier League games - has shown the need for more experience in the squad with a winning mentality to get over the line.
Arteta definitely wants West Ham midfielder Declan Rice who could win the Europa Conference League this term which will be great for the Hammers and their captain's development.
He would be an excellent signing to stiffen up the midfield but I'd also like to see a more experienced striker on the bench too to help either shut down games or salvage something in a Plan B.
Olivier Giroud is too old now at 36 but a younger version would be a useful addition in my opinion - perhaps Tammy Abraham would fit the bill?
Andy Dunn
As their physical and mental levels drop towards the end of this season, it is clear Mikel Arteta has a squad that needs strengthening, especially if he wants to make a decent fist of the Champions League campaign that is a reward for a fine domestic effort in 2022-23.
And the Arsenal manager’s priority must be to get the blockbuster signing of Declan Rice over the line.
If Arteta can recruit Rice, then another title challenge is almost a certainty and the addition of the England midfielder would also be a big draw for other potential arrivals.
Having felt William Saliba’s absence so keenly, Arteta will not need telling he needs defensive reinforcements and Crystal Palace ’s Marc Guehi is an obvious target.
If anything, this Arsenal squad has probably over-achieved this season and Arteta needs some serious backing in the summer transfer window.
Who would you sign for Arsenal in the summer? Have your say in the comments section
Tom Victor
The issue for Arsenal, as it was last season, is depth.
Just as injuries and inadequate cover cost them a top four spot last season when Kieran Tierney and Thomas Partey were unavailable, this time it was the loss of William Saliba in the closing weeks of the campaign. Manchester City, in contrast, have the squad to make up for pretty much any absence.
The solution, however, serves as a reminder of another issue. Arsenal have shown that with good recruitment they can improve year-on-year, and there’s every chance of a repeat in that department.
When 87 points won’t be enough against this City side, though, the challenge is making sure you don’t go in thinking your task is impossible from the get-go.
Arsenal’s title challenge came after City were below-par for much of the first half of the season. Surely they can’t start as poorly again, and even an improvement might not be enough for Mikel Arteta’s side.
Nathan Ridley
Arsenal are close. They're hardly Liverpool in 2019, when a Premier League title felt somewhat inevitable at some stage, but with a few alterations, there's no reason that the Gunners can't go again and be crowned champions next term.
Firstly, signing Declan Rice would send a message around Europe that Arsenal can once again order from the big boys' menu, and he'd be the answer to one midfield spot for much of the next decade. Selling Granit Xhaka would be a mistake, though, as the Swiss' role both on and off the pitch this season has proven instrumental.
With Champions League football returning to the Emirates in 2023-24, Mikel Arteta certainly needs a bulkier squad. Bringing in a backup centre-back would be a great help, as Rob Holding just hasn't cut it in the absence of William Saliba and Jakub Kiwior remains a rough diamond.
Tactically, adding another forward option would give Arsenal more attacking dimensions than they've had in the second half of this season, despite Eddie Nketiah's impressive form while filling in for Gabriel Jesus. Roma's Tammy Abraham would love to come back to London and prove Chelsea wrong, while Aston Villa star Ollie Watkins would be another wise acquisition.
Or even a winger would be worth investing in, with Reiss Nelson and Nicolas Pepe's respective Arsenal careers drawing to a close as this new era continues. The Gunners aren't far off.
Daniel Orme
Arsenal shouldn’t feel too downtrodden, they’ve only failed where so many have stumbled - attempting to stop the Manchester City juggernaut.
One of their main problems over the past few weeks has been a touch of naivety and lack of experience. Their defensive record this term also appears likely to cost them.
Arteta’s side have conceded the same amount of Premier League goals as 11th-placed Chelsea. A composed and battle-hardened Premier League defender would certainly have come in useful.
Someone like Aymeric Laporte fits the bill very nicely and he would represent an ideal signing ahead of next season. The Spaniard could potentially be open to leaving Man City following his lack of minutes this season.
Whether Pep Guardiola would allow another of his key players to swap the Etihad for the Emirates given the previous deals for Oleksandr Zinchenko and Gabriel Jesus is another matter entirely though.
One centre-back alone would likely not be enough in powering Arsenal to the title next term but it would certainly help to close the gap between themselves and the reigning champions.
Darren Wells
Arsenal have fallen just short but they've made huge strides under Mikel Arteta and have proven they can challenge again.
The task now is to build on what they've done this season. Replacing important starters such as William Saliba and Gabriel Jesus is ultimately what has cost them, so the key for Arteta should be signing one or two players who can come straight into his starting XI and make a difference, rather than just bulking his options.
A top-class centre midfielder is needed and Declan Rice could take Arsenal to the next level and be a mainstay for years to come.
Another striker who can weigh in with some goals would also not go amiss, although I'd turn to Folarin Balogun to provide some competition for Jesus. Defensively they could be stronger and a move for another centre-back to partner Saliba would be a shrewd move.
Tactically I don't think they need to change too much as they've been excellent, but they should be looking to evolve further. Sitting still will get them nowhere next season, particularly with Liverpool and Chelsea looking to come back stronger.
Felix Keith
The title may be gone, but there is good news for Arsenal. Next season they will be back in the Champions League for the first time since the 2016-17 campaign under Arsene Wenger.
That is a big deal when it comes to recruiting new players, because Arsenal can now compete with the biggest clubs in the world. It means that they have a legitimate shot at landing ambitious players like Declan Rice who want a step up.
Rice would be a brilliant signing, but not a transformative one. The Gunners need more, with depth at centre-back a real weakness highlighted by the injury to William Saliba; Rob Holding and Jakub Kiwior are not good enough for title challengers. Kieran Tierney is too injury-prone and should be allowed to leave for Newcastle, with a replacement coming in.
A new centre-forward and another top-quality wide player are also needed, with players like Eddie Nketiah and Reiss Nelson not consistent enough for regular first-team action.
The tactics, the ethos and focus on youth are all there with Mikel Arteta. He just needs more strength and depth across the board.
Who would you sign for Arsenal in the summer? Have your say in the comments section
Kieran King
Arsenal have to strengthen their squad this summer. It is clear to see some of the so-called 'squad players' are not good enough and will not be good enough for Champions League football next season.
The area the Gunners should prioritise the most is in defence. They need to get another right-back and centre-back, and both should be capable enough to play in Europe's elite club competition, as well as at the top of the Premier League.
Joao Cancelo, who can also play at left-back, would be the perfect Mikel Arteta player and he could leave Manchester City this summer. As for the centre-back, Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace would be an astute addition given his form this season.
The Gunners also need a top-quality midfielder. Declan Rice is the name being touted with a move to the Emirates and he would bring some much-needed energy and versatility to the middle of the park alongside either Thomas Partey or Granit Xhaka.
West Ham's reported price tag may put Arsenal off, but it shouldn't and they must get someone of Rice's calible in this summer to take them to the next level. I believe Rice should be prefered over Brighton's Moises Caicedo and Alexis Mac Allister.
Mark Jones
Arsenal ran out of legs, and that in turn added to the psychological pressure that eventually brought down their giddy challenge. There isn't really much more to it than that.
It's all part of the journey that successful teams go on though, and Mikel Arteta will be the first to tell you that his side have exceeded expectations and jumped a couple of years ahead in their development this season.
So with that in mind I wouldn't be letting anyone significant go this summer unless they actively wanted out or were out of contract.
Allowing players who want more first-team football to leave, such as Reiss Nelson, in as smooth as manner as possible is another way to tell the story of an evolution of a football club too, and one thing Arteta should have achieved this season is the total trust of supporters that he is the man for this job. He could be there for another decade.
In terms of incomings, Timothy Castagne from Leicester and Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace would make enormous sense to me, as would Declan Rice to any football team obviously.
Oh, and look out for Folarin Balogun's return too.
