Newly crowned Premier League champions Arsenal began their title celebrations in style with a comfortable victory over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Sunday. With the league title already secured earlier in the week, the Gunners delivered a composed performance in a festive atmosphere as supporters celebrated the club’s long-awaited triumph.
Both managers opted for heavily rotated squads, with Palace keeping one eye on Wednesday’s UEFA Conference League final while Arsenal prepared for Saturday’s Champions League final. The lack of pressure on either side contributed to a relaxed contest that often resembled a pre-season fixture rather than a competitive league encounter.
The game was played at a moderate tempo, with scheduled drinks breaks introduced because of the intense heat. Despite the subdued intensity, Arsenal still controlled much of the match and created the better opportunities throughout the contest.
Gabriel Jesus eventually opened the scoring in the 42nd minute after earlier missing two clear chances. The Brazilian striker calmly finished off a well-worked move to hand Arsenal a deserved lead heading into the break.
Arsenal doubled their advantage shortly after half-time through Noni Madueke, who converted from another expertly delivered corner routine. The goal effectively sealed the Gunners’ 26th league victory of an impressive campaign.
Crystal Palace responded late in the game as substitute Jean-Philippe Mateta flicked home Yeremy Pino’s cross with just one minute of normal time remaining. Pino then thought he had dramatically rescued a point in stoppage time when he fired into the net, but the effort was ruled out after the ball deflected off an offside Evann Guessand.
The defeat meant Palace finished 15th in the Premier League table, ending the season six points above the relegation zone. Despite the loss, the home supporters still had reason to celebrate after securing European football through their upcoming Conference League final appearance.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta made nine changes to the side that faced Burnley, handing 16-year-old Max Dowman a historic start as the youngest player ever to begin a Premier League match at 16 years and 144 days old. There was also an emotional return for Eberechi Eze against his former club, with the England international receiving a warm reception from Palace fans. The only concern for Arsenal came when Madueke limped off with a possible hamstring issue, although the winger did not appear to be in significant discomfort ahead of the Champions League final and the upcoming World Cup.
