This Premier League season has been nothing short of extraordinary. 5000-1 outsiders Leicester claimed their first ever league title with three games to spare. You have got to hand it to them, they did a marvellous job. Everyone thought they would peter out well before the end but they held their own and completed one of the best footballing stories for a generation. I think that most football fans wanted them to win in the end.
Actually, there wasn't a huge amount to play for on the last day of the season, Leicester were crowned winners, Aston Villa, Newcastle and Norwich knew they would spend 2016/17 in the second tier which left just the final Champions League spot up for grabs, and a lot of North London pride.
Tottenham and Arsenal began today two points apart in second and third, respectively. Both had Champions League berths assured earlier on in the week so, realistically, they had nothing to play for. Except the record that Tottenham haven't finished higher than Arsenal in the league for 21 years. Twenty-one years! My brother wasn't even born when Tottenham last finished above Arsenal. That's a record that doesn't sit well with the white part of North London and this was their chance, their opportunity to get one over on their bigger, more talented and more successful neighbours. Ten years after Lasagna-gate and here we are again, except this was purely for pride.
For Arsenal to leapfrog Tottenham into the runners up spot, Arsenal had to beat an already-relegated Aston Villa side and Tottenham had to lose to an already-relegated Newcastle side. Tottenham only needed a point from the match because of superior goal difference.
I was at the Emirates today. I am going to tell you what it was like from my perspective. This incredible, sunny day that was full of so much tension. It's days like these that are one of the many reasons I love football.
2.45pm In the ground. Phone buzzes (I get updates from various Sport Apps). Parts of Old Trafford evacuated. Ah, that's not good at all.
2.55pm More news coming in that the rest of Old Trafford is getting evacuated. Arsenal and Aston Villa players gather in the tunnel before coming on to the pitch.
3pm Kick off around the country, except at Old Trafford. Constantly looking at my phone to see if there's any more news. Arsenal 0-0 Aston Villa. Newcastle 0-0 Tottenham.
3.04pm Goal! The relief around the ground is plain to see. We've got an early goal! Surely that has to put pressure on Spurs up North? Arsenal settle into a rhythm. Arsenal 1-0 Aston Villa. Newcastle 0-0 Tottenham.
3.08pm Match abandoned at Old Trafford - suspect package. Five words start going round in my head: that could have been us. Arsenal 1-0 Aston Villa. Newcastle 0-0 Tottenham.
3.18pm Goal! But not a the Emirates. It's the one we'd all been hoping for and the stadium erupts as the news is passed around - Newcastle have scored! Arsenal 1-0 Aston Villa. Newcastle 1-0 Tottenham.
3.39pm Goal! Again, not at the Emirates but up at St James's Park! Newcastle have another! Someone is standing on his seat towards the back of The North Bank holding up his hand and displaying two fingers. The Emirates erupts with cheers again. Someone recommends that no-one tell the Arsenal players. Arsenal 1-0 Aston Villa. Newcastle 2-0 Tottenham.
3.41pm Someone told the Arsenal players. They now look like they're just playing to get to half time. Come on guys! We need another goal! Arsenal 1-0 Aston Villa. Newcastle 2-0 Tottenham.
3.45pm Half time. If Arsenal come out in the second half and play like they did in the last 10 minutes of the first then we will struggle. We might even concede. At least Tottenham are still losing up North... Arsenal 1-0 Aston Villa. Newcastle 2-0 Tottenham.
3.56pm Bomb disposal experts arrive at Old Trafford. Kelly Smith and Pedro Martinez Losa parade the Women's FA Cup in front of a very appreciative, if a little tense, Emirates crowd. Seriously, well done to the Arsenal Ladies, that was a phenomenal achievement. Arsenal 1-0 Aston Villa. Newcastle 2-0 Tottenham.
4pm Back under way. Remember, Arsenal need to win and Tottenham need to lose. It's a very anxious crowd in the sun-drenched Emirates Stadium. Arsenal 1-0 Aston Villa. Newcastle 2-0 Tottenham.
4.09pm The players must have had the highlights reel from St James's Park on in the changing room. The lazy passing and 'walk the ball into the back of the net' mentality is still there from the end of the first half. Are they not aware that only a win will do? Since we scored, we've gone forty-five minutes without even going close. Nerves are beginning to fray. Arsenal 1-0 Aston Villa. Newcastle 2-0 Tottenham.
4.18pm Goal! It's not what we wanted. Tottenham have sneaked a way back into the match. The thoughts on a Tottenham fightback start to make the crowd very edgy, especially when the payers seem to not care that much. Newcastle are still in the lead but they are already relegated, playing for nothing. It doesn't look good. On the pitch, Aston Villa win a couple of corners and the excellent Villa supporters cheer for them as if they'd scored. What a great group of fans! Arsenal 1-0 Aston Villa. Newcastle 2-1 Tottenham.
4.24pm Oh no! Suddenly, the future looks incredibly bleak. Newcastle have a man sent off. Now, it's a relegated side reduced to 10 men against a resurgent Tottenham side intent on getting the better of their noisy neighbours. Arsenal supports begin to resign themselves to third place. Arsenal 1-0 Aston Villa. Newcastle 2-1 Tottenham.
4.31pm Goal! Stress? What stress? 10 man Newcastle win a dubious penalty and convert it. Was it a penalty or not? I'll tell you one thing, there wasn't a supporter in the Emirates that cared. Tottenham now had to score another two. Down on the pitch, Arsenal were trying there best to eke out a 1-1 draw without making it look like that was what they were aiming to do. Do they not realise that we still need to win?! Arsenal 1-0 Aston Villa. Newcastle 3-1 Tottenham.
4.35pm Goal! And the relief starts to set in around the ground. Olivier Giroud gets his second of the match and the Emirates goes wild. Surely that wraps things up? Villa can't come back from this and Newcastle must be sailing up North. Arsenal 2-0 Aston Villa. Newcastle 3-1 Tottenham.
4.37pm Goal! That's it. Game over. Hat-trick hero Giroud knows it as much as the supporters do as he bounds over to celebrate by the corner flag. Arsenal 3-0 Aston Villa. Newcastle 3-1 Tottenham.
4.42pm Goal! What? Really? The news filters round the stadium that Newcastle have added a fourth and the overriding sound of laughter is heard. Everyone relaxes and starts chanting again. You could have heard a pin drop not twenty minutes previously! Arsenal 3-0 Aston Villa. Newcastle 4-1 Tottenham.
4.43pm Goal! No sooner had we started laughing at Tottenham's expense than news filters through that they have conceded again! Newcastle, down to ten men and with nothing to play for have just torn apart a team that were at one point challenging for the Premier League title! If you're going to go down, you might as well make it a good show. The Arsenal fans whistle their approval and a few start chanting Rafa Benitez's name. It's becoming a party atmosphere. The tension and anxiety now replaced by relief and mirth. Arsenal 3-0 Aston Villa. Newcastle 5-1 Tottenham.
4.49pm Goal! And what a way to end your Arsenal career! Mikel Arteta pings the ball from outside the box. The goalkeeper gets a finger to it and pushes it onto the bar but the ball drops straight down, off the 'keeper's back and into the goal. Cruel for Mark Bunn, delight for Arteta. What a rock he has been. A standing ovation for the club captain as you can see the pleasure written all over his face. Arsenal 4-0 Aston Villa. Newcastle 5-1 Tottenham.
4.51pm Full time up North. That's it! Unless we concede four goals in ninety seconds, Arsenal finish second in the Premier League! Arsenal 4-0 Aston Villa. Newcastle 5-1 Tottenham.
4.52pm Full time! Happy St Totteringham's Day to everyone! Suddenly, all those supporters and fans take their phones out, video the reaction and the chanting and immediately send them to Tottenham-supporting friends of theirs. I left a voicemail, which I do slightly regret. Arsenal 4-0 Aston Villa. Newcastle 5-1 Tottenham.
I don't think my heart will ever be the same again after the rollercoaster of the day. it was properly epic. Just looking back, I don't know why we were so nervous. After Newcastle scored their fist, we were in second and we stayed there. But the combination of the red card, Tottenham's goal and the lack of intent from the Arsenal players for large swathes of the match just made it difficult to believe we were going to do it. Up until the last ten minutes of course.
I want to say thank you. Thank you to Leicester for giving us a fairytale story we can all get behind. Thank you to Arsenal and the fans for just being there, ever present, this season. Thank you to the Aston Villa fans. You were relegated but made the most out of a bad situation by making us laugh. Cheering corners and cheering our first goal was extremely classy of you. I hope to see you back here next August! Finally, thank you to the Greater Manchester Police Department. It was a tough call on such an important day but you reminded everyone that safety is a priority. Again, very classy.
Euro 2016 up next. Any thoughts?
