Arsenal are one step away from something they've been waiting two whole decades for - but Manchester City refuses to let them have the calm ending. With a 3:0 win over Crystal Palace, City keep the pressure on at 77 points, while the Gunners sit on 79.

The maths is brutally simple: two wins - six points - crown. The team coached by Mikel Arteta first play at home against the already relegated Burnley, then close the season away at Crystal Palace on May 24.

On paper, that's the easiest possible ending. In practice, every misplaced pass will be magnified, every dropped point will be the topic of the week. Those who remember this Arsenal also remember how many times they were a step from the title only to finish third. Is this time different?

Manchester City, meanwhile, have their own calvary - the FA Cup final against Chelsea on Saturday, then Bournemouth on Tuesday, and the season's close away at Aston Villa. The same Aston Villa that let City onto the title two seasons ago.

Fatigue is the real threat to City, not Arsenal. And that's exactly the Gunners' biggest chance - not their own calendar, but the rival's. Pep Guardiola has three matches in ten days, Arteta has two, and both are against teams that are either thinking about a break or about their own European final.

The winner this time won't be the side that plays the better football. It'll be the one that holds the nerves. And if Arsenal really is a champion's team, as they've proved across the whole season - this last stretch should be a formality.

The first top-flight trophy since 2004 is in Arteta's hands. Just so long as it doesn't fall.