End-of-season games often have a slightly curious dynamic, a sense of being played at cross-purposes. On the one hand, there was Manchester City battling for the win as they pursue a fourth league title in five years. On the other, West Ham basking in the knockings of a season well done and determined to celebrate the final home game of one of their greatest recent players, Mark Noble.
When Noble came on with quarter of an hour remaining, what did that mean? He had played just 308 league minutes previously this season. Would he have come on had this not been his grand farewell? Does it matter? Would Liverpool fans who, if social media was anything to go by, were bizarrely aggrieved by the VAR award of an obvious penalty, have been aggrieved that West Ham in effect turned the final quarter of an hour into a testimonial?
