For most, Everton were not the big story of the day at the Emirates and several reports include the Blues merely as a footnote in the battle for the Premier League title.

The controversy that saw Michael Oliver overrule the VAR and stick with his decision to allow Kai Havertz’s late winner after the ball struck Gabriel Jesus’ arm was barely mentioned, nor was Everton’s own role in making life difficult for Arsenal.

But there were nods to the narrative that cast a shadow over events and in which Everton have a stake - the regulatory conflict of the Blues suffering two points deductions that have undermined their season while Manchester City await a hearing on a case that started earlier and has more far-reaching implications.

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Barney Ronay at the Guardian posed the question that most supporters were asking not just on Sunday but, at the very least, since that news dropped in November that Everton would be hit with a 10 point deduction for one rule breach - what does this mean for a Manchester City juggernaut carrying 115 allegations? Ronay wrote: “When you’ve had a final‑day thriller, when proximity at the top is the unique selling point of the league, how does this intersect with a champion team carrying 115 charges related to alleged financial irregularity, every one of them potentially the source of a points deduction?

“Is this real? Are we waiting for the other shoe to drop? These questions can exist simultaneously with the fact Manchester City are a brilliant, hall-of-famer team and a joy to watch. None of this is anything to do with the players or manager. These are incredible champions. But they have also won the league by two points in a season when teams with far fewer charges were docked eight points and four points for breaking rules on expenditure. How are fans of those teams supposed to feel watching the trophy being hoist?”

At the Times, James Gheerbrant reflected on how the electric atmosphere at the start of the game quickly fizzled with Phil Foden’s opener 200 miles away at Manchester City, taking the title out of Arsenal’s control. Everton played their part in silencing the Emirates though. Gheerbrant wrote: “Arsenal began with a spell of almost unbroken possession lasting two minutes 50 seconds, a statement of control on a day that was out of theirs. Eventually Takehiro Tomiyasu headed wide, but not before news of Phil Foden’s opening goal for City had percolated through the Emirates Stadium… After that, the atmosphere dropped. Arsenal kept playing, though, doing what was in their power.”

Sam Dean, in The Telegraph, focused on the next stage of the delirium sweeping through the Emirates as he reported on the eruption of noise on the brink of half-time as news spread that West Ham had levelled at Man City: Martin Odegaard, the Arsenal captain, had spent much of the first half attempting to whip up the home crowd. He had been whirring his arms and circling his hands, calling for more energy and more noise from the fans. Now, all of a sudden, the dream was alive and he was pleading for calm. He had no hope of getting it, of course. After all, it was 2-2 at City. Except, it soon became clear, it wasn’t 2-2 at City. Somehow the news had spread, and on days like this nothing could ever travel faster than good news. But it was not news – not accurate news anyway – and it was not real. The dream, it eventually became clear, was not quite as alive as the Emirates had believed.”

Andy Dunn at The Mirror was one of few to consider the implications of the game from an Everton perspective - and also one of few to focus on the VAR controversy behind Arsenal’s winner. He wrote: “This victory came against a very disciplined, very well-organised, very robust Everton team, whose finish to the campaign offers some promise for next season, assuming there are no more points deductions in the pipeline and assuming the ownership issues are sorted out. Their commitment in this match was certainly beyond question and they can consider themselves unfortunate to have seen Michael Oliver go to the screen but somehow still not see that Gabriel Jesus had handled in the build-up to the Havertz winner.”

At the ECHO, the attention was on the presence of Premier League chief executive Richard Masters and the clear message he was sent by the Everton supporters after a season in which the club has dealt with unprecedented challenges. The match verdict read: "Every supporter in the away end knew he was there and they all wanted him to know that too. He was left in no doubt before a ball had even been kicked; there could not have been a more fitting conclusion to this controversy soaked campaign than Blues getting to boo the Premier League anthem for one final time with the public face of the organisation looking on. He could be in no doubt on the final whistle either. ‘Eight point loss, still did boss’ was a polite sign in the away end. The chants that penetrated the stadium as Arsenal’s hopes faded were far less polite but their message was just as clear. Everton will play in the top flight yet again next season. That is in spite of the calls from the league’s chief executive and the crippling punishments his regime has imposed on one of its most prestigious clubs.

“Everton, after all they have faced this season, are still standing and the way this match unfolded only created further opportunities for that message to be sent loud and clear to the Emirates hospitality wing.”