Arsenal’s season, meanwhile, boils down to three more games: Burnley at the Emirates, Crystal Palace away on the final day and the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain.
They could hardly ask for a more favourable run domestically to get over the line, and the motivation is huge; the Clarets are, of course, already relegated and could be forgiven for looking to the future, while the usually-intimidating nature of a trip to Selhurst Park is diminished by the fact that the Eagles will surely rotate ahead of their own European final three days later in the Conference League.
Arsenal’s biggest challenge, then, will be overcoming the inevitable nerves to get the job done in two winnable games in the league. They could even afford to draw one game, depending on goal difference and City’s results, albeit that doesn’t bear thinking about. There is something to be said, too, for the kind of momentum a victory like the West Ham win can bring; the Gunners can ride that energy to the finish line.
Once league matters are out of the way, the north Londoners can look forward to a huge showdown with PSG in Budapest, where they can play without the mental shackles of the gruelling title race.
