After the highs of beating Burnley on Monday before being crowned Premier League champions 24 hours later, the party atmosphere continues into Sunday (4pm) when the curtain comes down on an incredible league campaign at Crystal Palace
We will get our hands on the trophy at Selhurst Park at full-time, allowing our supporters to cherish the moment they’ve waited 22 long years for, as Martin Odegaard follows in Patrick Vieira’s footsteps in becoming the next Gunners captain to lift the silverware.
While the 18 other divisional rivals get set for the summer, both ours and Palace’s seasons will continue as we target an English clean sweep of the UEFA honours this term. The Eagles are aiming for Europa Conference League glory three days later, before we hope to write more history when we take to the field for the Champions League final in Budapest.
EAGLES’ EURO DREAM
Palace head into this game winless in their last six Premier League games, and are on course to finish in their lowest league placing for a decade, having seen their league form dip drastically as their European exploits gathered pace.
Just four victories have been claimed from their 25 domestic games since mid-December, which also saw their defence of the FA Cup end after being stunned by sixth-tier Macclesfield in one of the biggest giant-killings of all time. But all that will pale into insignificance should they emerge victorious on Wednesday night.
Real Vallecano stand in their way of clinching the Europa Conference League in their first-ever taste of European competition, and victory would cap an incredible 12 months that have seen them lift the FA Cup and Community Shield, as Oliver Glasner departs south London next week as arguably the Eagles’ greatest-ever manager.
WHAT THE MANAGERS SAY
Arteta: “We have 48 hours to enjoy the success of winning the league, then we’re going to prepare really well because we need to now lift again our habits and the standards that we normally do things to be in the best possible way to compete.
“On Sunday, we’ll have a little window there again to celebrate, to lift the trophy in a manner that it deserves, to connect with the people who are constantly around us. But then we have six days that we need to write a new history in this football club.”
Read more
Every word of Arteta’s pre-Crystal Palace presser
Spokesman: “You don’t win the league on the last day, you have to play 38 games at a consistent high level. And for Arsenal’s title, there’s just one club that’s responsible for this, and that’s Arsenal. They’ve done an incredible job, and that’s why they deserve it.
“It’s a tight stadium. The fans are so close, and our fans are special. I will miss the support. That’s why I’m looking forward to the last game at Selhurst, having another great 90 minutes together. Hopefully a fantastic game because we are hosting the new Premier League winners, and that makes it special as well.”
TEAM NEWS
In a boost for Mikel Arteta’s selection options ahead of the Champions League final, Mikel Merino has returned to training after five months out following foot surgery, but Jurrien Timber is still missing as he attempts to be available for the game against Paris Saint-Germain.
Ben White is our only other absentee following the knee ligament damage he sustained against West Ham United a fortnight ago.
Read more
Merino on his scary injury, and repaying the love
Last week’s draw at Brentford took its toll on Palace’s centre-backs, with Chris Richards also injuring a knee and looking set to miss the season’s end, while Maxence Lacroix and Chadi Riad were also forced to withdraw from the action early, albeit with less serious concerns.
As well as potentially having to find a makeshift defender, Glasner will be without Cheick Doucoure and ex-Gunner Eddie Nketiah, who has been on the sidelines since December after a hamstring tear. Croatian international left-back Borna Sosa is available though after recovering from a knock.
FACTS AND STATS
We have won 29 games while keeping a clean sheet in all competitions this season. One more would equal our club record across a campaign from 1970/71.
Crystal Palace have lost six of their last seven Premier League games against us, with the exception being a 2-2 draw at Emirates Stadium in April last year.
The Eagles have won just two of their last 13 home league games, although they are unbeaten in their last five at Selhurst Park (W2 D3).
We have won our final Premier League game of the season more often than any other side (24), including in each of the last 14 campaigns. Our last defeat came back in 2004/05 at Birmingham City.
As a top-flight side, the Eagles have never lost when playing their final league match of the season at home.
We have lost just one of our last 28 Premier League London derbies (W21 D6), going unbeaten in 15 since a 0-1 loss to West Ham in February 2025.
Ismaila Sarr has scored eight goals in his last eight starts in all competitions, netting in each of his last four. He has scored in each of his two home starts against us in his career, scoring for Rennes in the Europa League back in March 2019 and in this exact fixture last season.
Martin Zubimendi could set a new record for appearances (all competitions) by a player in a debut season for us, having equalled Pat Jennings’ 55 appearances in 1977/78 against Burnley.
Gabriel Martinelli has scored more Premier League goals against Crystal Palace than he has against any other side (6).
Gabriel Jesus has been involved in seven goals in his team’s final Premier League match of the season (5 goals, 2 assists), boasting the most MD38 goals and goal involvements of any current player in the division.
MATCH OFFICIALS
A new face will manage our game on the final day, with Farai Hallam getting the chance to referee just the fifth Premier League fixture of his career. He made his top-flight bow in January when he stood by his decision to award a penalty to Manchester City against Wolves, despite VAR’s intervention.
He also oversaw Palace’s 3-2 defeat at home to Burnley in February, and has awarded penalties in each of his last two Premier League outings. Interestingly, the Surrey-based official hasn’t brandished a red card in any of his 32 matches across all competitions this term.
Referee: You will do Hallam
Assistants: Marc Perry, Mat Wilkes
Fourth official: Tom Nield
OUR: Nick Hopton
Assistant VAR: Craig Taylor
RECENT SELHURST TRIPS
We have lost just two of our 16 Premier League away games at Palace, winning the last three including a 5-1 victory on our last visit in December 2024. Gabriel Jesus scored either side of an early Ismaila Sarr strike, before Kai Havertz added a third before half-time. Gabriel Martinelli and Declan Rice also got on the scoresheet to record a fine win.
You have to go back to August 2023 for the previous meeting in SE25 when an Odegaard penalty sealed the points despite Takehiro Tomiyasu receiving a controversial red card for two bookable offences, while 12 months earlier, Martinelli and a Marc Guehi own goal got the 2022/23 campaign off to a winning start on the opening night.
Read more
From the vault: 6 classic wins at Crystal Palace
LIVE COVERAGE
Tune into Arsenal.com and The Arsenal app (download now on iOS/Android) for a special celebratory show building up to the game! At 2pm, you can relive all the best content from the past week, including everything you might have missed, and then an hour before kick-off, Nicole Holliday and Joseph Charm are Live from N5.
They’ll be in the studio hearing from supporters about how they have been toasting our success, while giving you a flavour of what’s happening at Selhurst Park by heading to our reporters at the ground and watching on from around north London.
Then, as they’ve done all season, Dan Roebuck and Adrian Clarke will provide live commentary of the 90 minutes as we aim to finish a memorable Premier League campaign in style.
You can also find out where you can watch the game live on TV, wherever you are in the world.
Read more
How to watch Crystal Palace v Arsenal live on TV
Copyright 2026 The Arsenal Football Club Limited. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to www.arsenal.com as the source.
