As Arsenal’s bus rounded the Hornsey Road roundabout, it was greeted by a sea of red and white. Draped from the railings above The Armoury club shop, hung a hand-painted banner: “Party on the streets of London”.

If Bournemouth take points from visitors Manchester City on Tuesday night, there certainly will be one. Many of the fans who filled the Emirates Stadium for Monday’s 1-0 win over Burnley will descend on the streets of Islington again to celebrate a long-awaited Premier League title. After 22 years, they might be just 24 hours away.

Arsenal are so close now they can smell it, touch it, taste it. It is exhilarating and — judging by some of the sloppiness seen in the second half last night — intoxicating.

Even if City beat Bournemouth, this win ensures Arsenal’s destiny remains in their own hands. Victory at Crystal Palace on Sunday in the season’s final round of league fixtures will guarantee them the title. “We are one game away from winning the Premier League,” summarised Arteta in his post-match press conference.

Arsenal made hard work of already-relegated Burnley, failing to capitalise on their first-half dominance with more than a Kai Havertz headed goal. After the break, they were careless in possession and lacking in intensity — but equally, never in any great danger of conceding an equaliser.

The game is unlikely to be remembered on its own merit. For Arsenal, it merely represents moving a step closer to their ultimate goal.

It did, however, have some of the hallmarks of this Arsenal side. There was a clean sheet — goalkeeper David Raya’s 19th of the Premier League campaign, equalling David Seaman’s club record. There was also a set-piece goal — their 18th from a corner kick, a new Premier League record.

Bukayo Saka seemed to know that corner’s outcome as soon as he delivered it. His clipped cross towards the near post on 37 minutes had the perfect trajectory: impossible for the goalkeeper to claim, tantalising for Arsenal players to attack.

Watching his delivery float into the six-yard box, Saka mirrored the movement of thousands of fans in the adjacent Clock End — an instinctive little jump and nod, as if to say, ‘Go on, son’. Havertz obliged; the tension was broken, and Arsenal had one hand on the Premier League title.

Arsenal were unconvincing, but never truly uncomfortable.

In stoppage time, Burnley sent a hopeful ball down the line looking for substitute Zeki Amdouni. The Switzerland international was escorted off the ball by Gabriel, Arsenal’s penalty-box bouncer supreme. The Brazilian turned and pumped his fist at the fans, who matched him in jubilant salute.

“I think that the desire every single player shows in their defensive duties, their behaviours, is phenomenal — and the work by the coaches as well,” Arteta said afterwards. “We all know the importance of that and how many results and wins we have because of that.”

It had been hoped that Arsenal might be able to seal the title here — that they might be granted the opportunity to lift the trophy in front of their own supporters. That wasn’t to be: stuttering April form saw them dragged into a true title race that may yet go to the final day.

There will be just 2,687 Arsenal fans present at Selhurst Park (in the away end, at any rate). Last night then was the Emirates Stadium crowd’s send-off for this team — not just for that potential title-decider in south London but for a Champions League final in Budapest the following Saturday. Win the league, and that game against Paris Saint-Germain might feel like an extraordinary free hit — or at least as close to a free hit as it’s possible for a Champions League final to be.

Arteta and club mascot Gunnersaurus applaud the Arsenal supporters post-match (Julian Finney/Getty Images)

At full time against Burnley, Arteta turned to the crowd with arms outstretched, before slapping hands with the injured Jurrien Timber and Mikel Merino, who watched from the tunnel area. In the centre circle, Piero Hincapie fell to his knees in silent prayer.

Then onto the pitch poured substitutes, staff and, later, friends and families. It was time for Arsenal’s ‘lap of appreciation’ — and Arteta showed his gratitude to the crowd for the support they’ve shown this season.

“It’s an absolute joy to witness the transformation and the contribution each of you has made to turn this place into the most beautiful place to play football games,” Arteta told them, his words into a microphone barely audible above the supporters’ chants.

“This is the soul of this football club, and each of you contributes to that, so make sure (you do that) every time you step into this stadium. You face a responsibility now to keep it at these standards, because it makes such a difference for us and for all these fans.”

Arteta shared embraces with his family, as well as former Arsenal team-mate Per Mertesacker, who leaves his role as the club’s academy manager this summer. Team-mates teased Hincapie for losing his shorts and bearing his rear end on one perilous slide. The squad were joined by a dancing Gunnersaurus, who — at 65 million years old — appears as sprightly as ever.

Raya was presented with a third consecutive Premier League Golden Glove — he now has enough for a pair plus a spare. For the big group photo, sporting director Andrea Berta was sandwiched in between co-owner Josh Kroenke and Myles Lewis-Skelly’s grandma.

A banner hung from the East Stand read simply ‘Mikel knows’ — a play on the purported omniscience of Arsenal’s previous league-winning manager, Arsene Wenger. A sense of history hangs in the air.

A ‘Mikel knows’ banner on display during Monday night’s game (Julian Finney/Getty Images)

The supporters then scattered into the night, reflecting not on the game, but on the season that’s been — and what might be yet to come.

It’s a huge fortnight for this football club. It might yet be a momentous 24 hours.