And so, Chelsea it was, romping home in the most emphatic fashion, outstripping their northern rivals and breaking records as they went. The expected win over Wigan was pretty much settled within half an hour, with Chelsea’s second goal, a penalty, coinciding with the sending off of Wigan defender Gary Caldwell. From then on, the party started and Chelsea simply ran riot, scoring again and again. By the time the trophy was presented, they’d scored eight times, and even the ruthless Carlo Ancelotti’s appetite seemed to have been satisfied.

Apart from all the gratuitous goal scoring, one of the most entertaining parts of the afternoon, was the world class sulking from leading scorer and Golden Boot hopeful Didier Drogba. As Caldwell trudged from the field, an argument broke out between Drogba and regular penalty taker Frank Lampard over who should take the kick, with Drogba desperate to overtake Wayne Rooney as outright top scorer for the Premiership. Lampard stood firm and the Ivorean sulked and stropped for the next five minutes. Words were obviously said at half time as team mate Michael Ballack felt the need to draw the team together in a huddle before the second half started.

All unnecessary in the end as Drogba went on to claim a second half hat-trick (the second of which was a penalty kick granted to him by Lampard) and that Golden Boot was his. And still the milestones were passed, Drogba’s first goal, Chelsea’s fifth was their hundredth of the season – the first time this has been achieved in the Premiership, on the first time in the top flight since the 1962/3 season. You’d have to travel back 1962 to find a side beating Chelsea’s eventual haul of 103 – Spurs scored 111 in a longer 42 game season. To find another side equalling the four seven-or-more wins managed this year, you’d have to go back even further – Arsenal in the 1934/5 season.

Wigan were also at it, their 79 goals conceded this year was the largest number in the Premiership ever by a side not being relegated (indeed their goal difference was worse than any of the three relegated teams, and only Burnley had conceded more goals this season). Bizarrely enough, this was not their heaviest defeat in the capital this year, Spurs having beaten them 9-1 in November.

In the other results, Manchester United did their best to keep up the pressure beating Stoke 4-0, Wayne Rooney shuffling off with a groin strain in the second half. Suggestions that Sir Alex was insisting on a further 20 minutes of time added on to score another five goals, were entirely unfounded…

Arsenal beat Europa League finalists Fulham 4-0 to ensure that rivals Tottenham didn’t pip them for the third automatic Champions League spot, a nerve-wracking qualifying round awaits, manager of the year, Harry Rednap and his Spurs team only weeks after having humbled this afternoon’s revellers.