Arsenal fall short but take hope for the future.

Fans show their belief in Arteta and his players

 “We could be heroes - just for one day.” Even the Arsenal DJ sought to spread ambition before kick-off. Even the home fans hoped against hope that Manchester City would slip up 200 miles to the north against West Ham United. It was always going to be a tall order chasing down a team as good as City, a team with Phil Foden showing again why he is Footballer of the Year.

                  Arsenal fans boarded an emotional rollercoaster at the Emirates. They experienced, endured really, an afternoon of real news and fake updates, of hope rising and falling. Such is the tense life of supporters relying on results anywhere. Social media can be a mischievous companion and one rumour of a West Ham goal spread through the Arsenal crowd, lifting hope and then dashing it.

Martin Odegaard as Arsenal’s title dream ends. Photo: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

                  By the end, as both Arsenal and City won as expected, and City were crowned champions, Gabriel Martinelli fell to the earth, exhausted emotionally and physically. Ashley Young walked across and helped him up, a sporting touch. Arsenal have given so much this season and fallen just short. Their fans stayed behind, singing in praise of “super Mik Arteta”, cheering his players, trying to lift their spirits. The captan, Martin Odegaard, spoke on the pitch afterwards about his “pride” in the team and the support. Arteta then strode on to rapturous applause. “Keep pushing, keep inspiring this team,” he urged the fans. They will. The rollercoaster has ended for this season but the journey continues. The belief remains.

                 Sometimes it is easiest to ascertain the strength of a club’s long-term hopes from fans. For all the frustration of the title race denouement, Arsenal supporters certainly have confidence in their young team, and in their manager, Arteta. As the clock ticked down to 4pm, the Emirates resembled a shrine beckoning tens of thousands of believers. Sunday worshippers. A father patiently explained to his confused daughter that even though the title race was between Arsenal and City they weren’t actually playing each other. She absorbed the reasoning and voiced her belief in Arsenal against Everton. It was to be a testing afternoon, especially when the exceptional Idrissa Gueye was charging forward for Everton, a rollercoaster ride that ended with a victory over 90 minutes and defeat over nine months.

            As the river of red and white thickened towards the stadium, the depth of the support was confirmed. Arteta may not have brought the title back after two decades, but he has brought hope back. Expectations arose in all those flocking to the ground, pledging their allegiance in shirts past and present: JVC retro, Odegaard current, Cesc Fabregas old, Declan Rice new, the iconic, clean 71 Double shirt, the Ian Wright timeless, and more Odegaard. Anyone peering in the Victoria Tavern, just off the Holloway Road, would have thought an Odegaard convention was taking place. Arteta has got something going at Arsenal again and Odegaard is in the middle of it.

            Whatever narrative would unfold in the following hours as the sunshine and clouds reflected a fan’s existence, the Arsenal throng arrived hopefully. A carnival atmosphere reigned for a while. Foden wrecked the party before the canapes had even been served. But the Arsenal fans clung to the rollercoaster, holding on and hoping. Some bulk-bought programmes, on the off-chance of glory, a special souvenir, also a show of faith in the future of their promising, exciting young team. These supporters can see how Arsenal are developing under Arteta, admire how he tackled the squad issues, moving on those who did not fit his template of the way ahead.

            The fans pouring down the Hornsey Road, following the Ashburton Army with their flags and drums, took pride in seeing off Liverpool and going toe to toe with Pep Guardiola’s relentless heavyweights. They took pride in the vibrant presence of Rice, who has brought such authority to midfield, and finished second to the peerless Foden as Footballer of the Year. Odegaard, the captain whose work ethic sets the standards, was fourth in the voting (after Rodri).

So many of Arteta’s players have stood up to be counted this season. William Saliba has been an ever-present, every second of every minute of their league campaign, a mixture of mobility and resolve. Ben White has been outstanding in and out of possession at right-back, up and down the flank. David Raya, who has been helped by such an obdurate defence, won the Golden Glove. Kai Havertz has delivered during the run-in, scoring the winner here.

Fans noted with frustration the absence of Bukayo Saka with what the club termed a “slight muscle” issue. They also saw with great pleasure a new name on the bench. “Please welcome back, Jurrien Timber,” declared the announcer. The defender had not been seen since damaging his ACL against Nottingham Forest nine months ago. He came on to a huge ovation in the second half.

                  The DJ played his part, summoning up the spirit of David Bowie. Havertz attempted to be Starman, unleashing a shot within the opening minute. Then came that first dispiriting bulletin from the Etihad of Foden’s first. Silence descended like a thick, suffocating blanket. It was broken only by Arsenal fans chanting dismissively about Tottenham Hotspur, taking comfort from parochial point-scoring.

                  Their team needed all the points here and prayed vainfully for a City slip-up. The inquests will reflect that Arsenal failed not because they were defensive on their trip to the Etihad; to have opened up would have been naïve and inviting being taken apart by Foden and company. Arsenal failed to hold on because City are a magnificent side, because they really needed a clinical No 9, and because they lost at home to Aston Villa last month.

That moment when Leandro Trossard was denied by Emi Martinez just before half-time was one of those sliding-doors in the season. Yet the Belgian has more than played his part in Arsenal staying in the hunt, scoring four times in the previous five games. “Trossard again, Trossard again, ole, ole, ole,” sang the fans as they marched through the tunnel under the railway on the Hornsey Road.

                  Trossard almost pounced after 14 minutes, meeting Odegaard’s cross at the far-post but denied by Jordan Pickford. Martinelli, starting in Saka’s place on the right, drove in, easily eluding Jarrad Branthwaite but again Pickford was well-placed. Everton began playing with real freedom, knowing their safety had long been secured.

                  A few nerves spread through the Emirates, intensifying as news came through of Foden’s second. The essential honesty of the Premier League ensured that Everton fought hard. Dominic Calvert-Lewin hit a post. 40 minutes: Gueye gave Everton the lead with a free-kick that deflected in off Rice. The rollercoaster hurtled downhill, but then Odegaard, such a good captain, sent it climbing high with a cutback to Takehiro Tomiyasu to equalise. 44 minutes, hope returned.

                  45 minutes: the decibel level rose again as Arsenal fans celebrated wildly news of Mohammed Kudus’ goal at the Etihad. They would have been even more impressed if they’d seen his magnificent overhead kick. 45+4: rumour now swept the Emirates. West Ham had equalised ran the whisper that became a roar. 2-2!? Many Arsenal fans’ shouts of glee froze in the air. No confirmation followed. No goal. City still led.

                  Arsenal re-appeared early for the second half, still fighting hard against the fading of their title light. 59: 3-1 City. Rodri surely all but extinguished those lights. What always looked mission improbable now looked impossible. Arsenal fans still took hope for the future from Timber’s return. They took brief hope when news of Tomas Soucek making it 3-2 at the Etihad. Then hope plummeted as VAR spotted a hand-ball and Soucek’s effort was ruled out. 3-1. Then, 89: Havertz poached the lead for Arsenal. Michael Oliver rightly overruled VAR’s case for a hand-ball by Gabriel Jesus when it was clearly not deliberate. Then came the final whistle signalling the end of the dream – for this season.