Arsenal responded to Idrissa Gana Gueye's Everton goal in the manner of champions, regardless of where they were at the time and where they finished. One-nil down at home and with almost certain knowledge that Manchester City had taken an early lead against West Ham, the mentality monsters that Mikel Arteta has been keen to develop really showed their true quality.

Despite the north London atmosphere having been blunted by the first half an hour of football across the Premier League's final day, there was nothing to stop Arsenal from demonstrating their belief and grit that those involved with the club hope will continue on to bring greater rewards in the future. As Takehiro Tomiyasu swept home to level the game at the Emirates Stadium Arteta's message was born out in full view.

"You see the signs that we have a lot of stability from ownership and the board," he said of the belief flowing through the club ahead of the game. "Then you have to make a lot of strategic decisions in relation to the squad. Then to the staff.

"Then you see how people work every day and how much they want it. Then you start to believe something special is happening here. Then you have to evolve the squad, you sign a few players and that’s contagious. You get excited because he’s in the building, you have to get better and it’s like a snowball and it starts to get bigger and bigger.

"You start to win and you realise the gap is not that big. On top of that we have the supporters behind us every single day and that generates belief as a club."

If a moment was to reveal the true nature of Arsenal this season - and wider than that, in the past two years under Arteta - then it was this reaction. Slotting in his right-footed shot from the edge of the box, Tomiyasu and his Arsenal teammates didn't wait to celebrate.

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Before the noise levels in the ground could drop the ball had been picked out of the net and was back on the halfway line. Everyone was eager for more.

Just a minute later and City showed a rare sign of their fallibility, conceding to see their lead halved. Mohammed Kudus' acrobatic strike reignited the pre-match electricity that had taken over with title fever.

For a brief moment there was a false belief in some quarters that West Ham had equalised, sparking pandemonium. Even without the leveller in Manchester, Arsenal's fightback at such a pressure time, and their reaction to such a blow, speaks volumes of what has been created at the club and why this is more than just a flash in the pan.