The Premier League campaign culminates with a celebratory London derby as newly-crowned champions Arsenal make the short trip across the capital to face Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park this Sunday.
With Mikel Arteta's men having secured their first Premier League title in 22 years thanks to Manchester City's 1-1 draw with Bournemouth earlier in the week, the pressure is entirely off, and a party atmosphere awaits the visiting supporters who will see captain Martin Odegaard lift the trophy at full-time.
However, while the league standings may reflect as less significant, both clubs are carefully balancing their domestic sign-off with massive European finals on the immediate horizon. Arsenal are gearing up for a monumental Champions League final against
Paris Saint-Germain, while Oliver Glasner's Eagles are preparing for their own historic Conference League final clash against Rayo Vallecano.
Match Details
Fixture: Crystal Palace vs Arsenal
Date: Sunday, May 24, 2026
Kick-off: 4:00 PM BST | 8:30 P.M. IST
Venue: Selhurst Park, London
Crystal Palace vs Arsenal Team News
Oliver Glasner's Crystal Palace have secured their mid-table safety and will be fully focused on keeping their squad sharp and injury-free ahead of their Conference League final. The Eagles will likely be without Chris Richards, who limped off with an ankle injury in their recent outing against Brentford and missed training this week.
On a positive note, Palace received a triple fitness boost as Maxence Lacroix, Chadi Riad, and left-back Borna Sosa have all returned to contention. Long-term absentees Cheick Doucoure and former Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah (hamstring) remain sidelined. Given the short turnaround before their European final, Glasner is expected to make wholesale changes, potentially resting key operators like Adam Wharton and Jean-Philippe Mateta to protect them.
For Arsenal, the priority is undeniably the impending Champions League final, meaning Mikel Arteta is poised to rotate heavily. Star trio David Raya, William Saliba, and Bukayo Saka were given individual training programs this week, and while they are not carrying injuries, they are prime candidates to be rested.
Ben White is unavailable, and Jurrien Timber remains a major doubt as he recovers from a groin issue. However, the Gunners were boosted by the return of Mikel Merino, who has resumed full training after a lengthy spell out with a foot injury and could feature. Fringe players and squad regulars like Gabriel Jesus-who boasts an exceptional record of final-day goal involvements-and Swedish striker Viktor Gyokeres are strongly backed to start, eager to give Arteta a selection headache ahead of the PSG clash.
Crystal Palace vs Arsenal Predicted Lineups
Crystal Palace: Benitez; Canvot, Riad, Lacroix; Munoz, Lerma, Hughes, Sosa; Sarr, Johnson; Strand Larsen
Arsenal: Kepa; Mosquera, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie; Odegaard, Norgaard, Lewis-Skelly; Madueke, Jesus, Martinelli
Crystal Palace vs Arsenal Prediction
While this fixture is effectively a dead rubber, Arsenal's sheer squad depth gives them a distinct advantage. Both managers will field rotated starting XIs to protect their star men for their respective European finals.
However, the Gunners' second-string lineup spearheaded by players like Jesus and Gyokeres desperate to force their way into the Champions League final starting XI should have enough firepower to bypass a distracted Palace side. Expect Arsenal to sign off their title-winning campaign in style and extend their impressive unbeaten streak in final-day fixtures before lifting the trophy at Selhurst Park.
Match Prediction: Crystal Palace 0-2 Arsenal
