Arsenal marked the beginning of their reign as Premier League champions with a comfortable victory over Crystal Palace in a celebratory atmosphere at Selhurst Park.
With Crystal Palace preparing for Wednesday’s Conference League final and Arsenal focusing on Saturday’s Champions League final, both managers rotated heavily and experimented with their line-ups.
The game carried little pressure, especially after Arsenal secured the title earlier in the week. Combined with the relaxed tempo and cooling breaks due to the heat, the match felt more like a pre-season encounter than a competitive league fixture.
After wasting two earlier chances, Gabriel Jesus finally broke the deadlock in the 42nd minute with a composed finish to put Arsenal ahead before the break.
Arsenal extended their lead soon after half-time when Noni Madueke capitalised from another well-worked corner routine, sealing the Gunners’ 26th league victory of the season.
Crystal Palace pulled one back late on through substitute Jean-Philippe Mateta, who cleverly redirected Yeremy Pino’s delivery with just a minute remaining.
Pino thought he had rescued a dramatic draw in stoppage time when he found the net, but the goal was ruled out after the ball struck Evann Guessand, who was standing in an offside position. Palace ended the campaign in 15th place, six points above the relegation zone.
Mikel Arteta made nine changes from the team that faced Burnley and handed Max Dowman a start, making the midfielder the youngest player ever to start a Premier League match at just 16 years and 144 days old.
The game also marked Eberechi Eze’s first appearance against his former club since leaving Palace in a £67m move. The England international received a warm reception from supporters after famously scoring the winning goal in Palace’s FA Cup triumph last season.
There was a slight concern for Arsenal when Madueke was forced off with what appeared to be a hamstring problem, although the winger did not seem seriously troubled and will hope to be fit for both the Champions League final and England’s World Cup campaign.
For Arsenal’s travelling fans, however, the result mattered little. Their main focus was celebrating the long-awaited lifting of the Premier League trophy after years of waiting.
