The Arsenal players strolled back to their half, shoulders loose, expressions glowing but calm, because they knew it was done.
The job had been finished.
The match didn't need a final flourish, no last desperate sprint.
Their bodies moved with the unhurried certainty of men who had conquered, soaking in every second of the crowd's deafening roar, and the commentators were right there with them, voices thick with emotion.
"It's over, isn't it? It has to be over. Arsenal… Arsenal are about to be crowned champions of England. What a season, what a journey, and what a finish!"
Newcastle placed the ball at the centre circle, but even their motions were half-hearted because the whistle pierced the air before they could do anything else.
The Emirates erupted.
It wasn't just a sound; it was an earthquake, a tidal wave of red and white euphoria crashing down from every corner of the stands.
