Arsenal's sad ending intersects with the need to feel that City's title is real | Arsenal

W.Well, you can still have a lot of fun in 80 seconds. In terms of carnival atmosphere, this was a micro-carnival, a highlight reel. Arsenal's danger on the final day of the Premier League: let's take a look at their best moments.

When the players walked out onto Emirates Stadium there was an explosion of red and white smoke over the edge of the stands and a sense of event glamor and bustling possibilities, like the final rally of a presidential campaign.

Eighty seconds was enough for reality to set in, as news leaked of Phil Foden's wonderful opening goal for city ​​of manchester Against West Ham at the Etihad, the ball trickled into the top corner of Foden Country, which is not Stockport, but a central region just outside the penalty area.

At that moment, the energy inside Emirates Stadium seemed to fade, sucked through the stadium roof into the haze of north London. Arsenal had some opportunities to score against an energetic and resilient team. Everton. Jordan Pickford produced a brilliant reflex block.

Hope began to rise. One to zero is, as they say, a dangerous outcome. But not as dangerous as 2-0 (Foden, 18 minutes). Shortly after, Idrissa Gueye sent the Everton fans into a frenzy with a deflected free kick to make it 1-0. Takehiro Tomiyasu scored the tying goal.

Naturally, there was a bit of cruelty towards Arsenal fans in the midst of all this. In the 44th minute came the news that West Ham had scored. In the 45+2 minutes a rumor emerged that the score was 2-2 in Manchester, which suddenly made the Arsenal crowd crazy. Of course, this was fake news, misinformation, a wave of Internet energy. We know about these. First Brexit. Now City 2-2 West Ham.

The break came and passed in a disastrous blur. Before long, Rodri had made it 3-1 to City and on the day, apart from three or four more sensational overhead shots from Mohammed Kudus, he was gliding in only one direction.

There was a nice family warmth in the stands during the second half at the Emirates Stadium. Arsenal got a late goal thanks to the excellent Kai Havertz and reduced the final gap behind City to two points. And from a neutral perspective, there are probably two things worth saying about the final notes of a drama-filled season.

First of all, there is the issue that no one wants to talk much about because it is hypothetical and also because, frankly, it is affecting the feeling of super flight. But here it is. When you've had a late-game thriller, when proximity at the top is the league's only draw, how does that intersect with a championship team saddled with 115 charges related to alleged financial irregularities, each potentially the source of a point deduction?

Is this real? Are we waiting for the other shoe to drop? These questions can exist simultaneously with the fact that Manchester City are a brilliant team, a hall of famer and a joy to watch. None of this has to do with the players or the coach. These are incredible champions. But they also won the league by two points in a season in which teams with far fewer charges were docked eight points and four points for violating spending rules. How are the fans of those teams supposed to feel watching the trophy being lifted?

Those charges have been prosecuted during the current season. If the City is found guilty (a big if, as they deny all charges), a genuine regulator with a desire to enforce the rules would have a full range of sanctions available. In the middle of which two points look like a fairly small beer.

Is there any way this could affect the current season? Most things don't happen. This one probably won't. Although the benefits of spending large sums of money are clearly still being felt. The charges are being examined now, not eight years ago. And the court has great freedom when it comes to imposing punishments.

Here there are also questions of sporting legitimacy, solidity and basic credibility of the brand. We need to feel that this is real, that success has been fairly audited. If there is any weight in the first division According to their teams, even the most powerful ones, this must be resolved as soon as possible, if only to avoid that shadow-asterisk feeling, a league title awarded pending resolution.

As for Arsenal, the question will continue to be asked, even after an 89-point season. Is this really good? Football is a furiously literal business. Coming in second place will always be seen as a failure, like not being first. But the players, the manager and the fans will know how good Arsenal have been this season.

The team has progressed. The defense is solid, the attack fluid, Martin Ødegaard has a notable influence. This is all good. No one has choked or dropped anything. Levels are dizzyingly high now.

Where to go from here? You don't need a high-level 9 to score goals. But you might need one for tighter games. We remember, on this last matchday, the 0-0 at the Etihad Stadium. Is there enough depth? That first XI is sinking. How easy will it be to turn up the intensity again after being so close?

at the end here Mikel Arteta I talked about not being satisfied with second best and always pushing for more. That will only happen with a small investment. But Arsenal should be satisfied with this very good second place; even if only the first one can be really great.