If this is indeed a “new league”, as Mikel Arteta described it after Arsenal were beaten by Manchester City at the Etihad, it will not be a particularly easy one to watch.
Since that determined declaration in defeat, both title contenders have played once in the Premier League and won 1-0 against struggling teams through goals scored in the opening ten minutes.
Arsenal made harder work of Newcastle at home than Manchester City did of Burnley away, but the nerves of this sprint finish along a tightrope were clear to see in both performances – and will likely define the rest of this run-in.
Something will have to give at some point; there are worse approaches for Arsenal to take than to simply win the remainder of their games 1-0, but it does feel like a flawed strategy when Manchester City are on course to win the title courtesy of having scored more goals.
Arteta has existed on that fine line between genius and insanity for a while and this feels like the most extreme, daring example yet.
That is the margin the title’s destination will be decided on at this rate, and it does not currently favour Arsenal. But in Eberechi Eze they do at least have a player capable of single-handedly embodying Manchester City’s absurd season-ending energy.
The 41st Premier League goal of his career granted Arsenal an advantage that Newcastle could not overcome; 21 of those Eze goals have come in March, April and May, and few were converted quite as emphatically as the effort he whipped past Nick Pope from a short corner.
It officially went down as Arsenal’s 17th set-piece goal of the Premier League season – a new outright record – but this was not Gabriel bundling the ball over the line while three team-mates pinned the keeper in. A short corner was instead played to Kai Havertz, who laid the ball off for Eze to shoot first-time from outside the area.
Arsenal lost both players to injury before the hour mark as the weight of hope and expectation continues to wreak havoc on the bodies of this squad – especially their most technically proficient, impactful forwards.
Bukayo Saka made his return after missing Arsenal’s only two Premier League defeats since January, but the loss of Havertz and Eze here, combined with that ludicrous title pressure, changed the dynamic irrevocably.
But Newcastle could not breach a defence performing at something close to its highest level again. Sandro Tonali seemed determined to impress with a few shots, Dan Burn should have done better with at least one opportunity and Yoane Wissa blazed over when played in brilliantly by Nick Woltemade, but Eddie Howe could not avert a fourth straight defeat.
There is a lot to be said for how Arsenal held on to win what Arteta called “game one” of this final stretch. But the prospect of them grinding out much of this campaign, closing it out with a series of 1-0 Like A Champion wins and still finishing second remains tantalisingly close.