ARSENAL irresistible, innovatory, incredible are the champions of England. Deservedly and brilliantly so. At an almost disbelieving Highbury, they shrugged aside Everton with the ease of a man swishing a midge off his beer to complete one of the most remarkable championship wins of all time. It was their tenth successive win, the best ever end to a Premiership campaign, an awesome surge that left Manchester United spluttering and ultimately broken in their wake.

Yesterday's match (full report on page News 1) was, by recent Arsenal standards, just business as usual with an own goal by Slaven Bilic, a pair from Marc Overmars and a late effort from Tony Adams crushing Everton in the cold Spring sunshine. But there's been nothing usual or workaday about the way Arsenal have defied the odds (and in particular the Manchester bookie who, taking all the experts at their word, paid out on United having already clinched the title) to claw back, overhaul and ultimately destroy the reigning champs.

After a fine start to the season, when Ian Wright's mission to overtake Cliff Bastin's League scoring record became a national obsession, at least in the newspapers, and drove the team to the top of the Premiership, Arsenal faded in November and December. Wright was first out of form, then injured; Nicolas Anelka and Cris Wreh, Arsene Wenger's young purchases, looked poor replacements for the great man. Overmars appeared a peripheral shadow of the will-o-the-wisp who'd tortured defences throughout his career. Emmanuel Petit was average. And, worst of all, Manchester United were flying.

Since December, though, as United allowed their pursuit of the Champions' Cup, and Roy Keane's injury, to blunt their edge, Arsenal have regrouped, improved, prospered and ultimately conquered. Whether it was just plain old hard work, top players getting used to the English game, or the absense of Wright's dominating personality allowing other players to express themselves more fully,