Premier League champions Arsenal rounded off an historic 2025/26 season in style, clinching a 2-1 win away at Crystal Palace courtesy of goals from Gabriel Jesus and Noni Madueke.
Despite Mikel Arteta naming a heavily rotated team with the likes of Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, William Saliba, Gabriel and David Raya outside the starting XI, Arsenal claimed all three points at Selhurst Park.
It took 42 minutes for Jesus to break the deadlock, fizzing the ball past Dean Henderson after being set up by Gabriel Martinelli.
Madueke then doubled the Gunners’ advantage just after the interval, firing sweetly on the volley after half-time substitute Kai Havertz had intelligently nodded down from a Martin Zubimendi corner.
Jean-Philippe Mateta, on as a late substitute, scored a consolation goal for Palace on 89 minutes with a fine header from a Yeremy Pino cross.
But it wasn’t over there, as Pino briefly thought he had scored a dramatic 91st-minute equaliser, only to be denied due to the ball flicking off the chest of the offside Evann Guessand.
For Arsenal, it was the perfect way to end the campaign and gain some confidence ahead of next Saturday’s UEFA Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain.
Palace can’t say the same as Oliver Glasner’s Premier League stint ends in defeat, but the Eagles were always more focused on Wednesday’s UEFA Conference League final against Rayo Vallecano.
The travelling Arsenal supporters – and a host of Gunners who had waggled tickets in the home end – were made to wait a good half an hour after full time for the moment they had all been waiting for.
But the Premier League winners’ ceremony was well worth the wait as captain Martin Odegaard held the trophy aloft in the Selhurst Park sunshine. The lift comes 22 years after Arsenal’s last triumph, all the way back in 2003/04.
