CRYSTAL PALACE 1 – 2 ARSENAL Mateta 89′ | Jesus 42′, Madueke 48′
The 22-year wait is officially over. Amidst a carnival atmosphere in the away end at Selhurst Park, Arsenal concluded their triumphant 2025/26 Premier League campaign with a narrow 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace before finally getting their hands on the Premier League trophy.
With both managers heavily rotating their squads ahead of monumental European finals next week, Arsenal face PSG in the Champions League, while Palace take on Rayo Vallecano in the UEFA Conference League, the match felt like a celebratory exhibition for much of the afternoon. However, late drama ensured the newly crowned champions had to sweat for their 26th league win of the season.
Dowman Makes Premier League History
The headline team news centred around Arsenal’s midfield, where Mikel Arteta handed a start to highly rated academy prospect Max Dowman. At just 16 years and 144 days old, Dowman surpassed Jose Baxter to make history as the youngest-ever player to start a Premier League match, adding to his existing records as the competition’s youngest-ever scorer and appearance maker.
Alongside Dowman, Gabriel Jesus was handed the captain’s armband and tasked with leading the line. The Brazilian, who boasts a phenomenal record on the final day of the season, was at the heart of the action early on. He struck the frame of the goal just five minutes in and saw a one-on-one effort brilliantly smothered by Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson.
Three minutes before the interval, Jesus’s persistence finally paid off. A quick interchange allowed Gabriel Martinelli to roll the ball into the path of his compatriot, and Jesus fired a precise finish past Henderson at the near post to give Arsenal a deserved 1-0 lead.
A Quick Start and a Late Scare
Arsenal came out of the tunnel firing in the second half. Arteta introduced Kai Havertz at the break, and the German international made an immediate impact. In the 48th minute, Havertz nodded a deep Martinelli corner back into the danger zone, where Noni Madueke was waiting to lash a side-footed volley through a sea of bodies to double the champions’ advantage.
For much of the second half, Arsenal comfortably controlled proceedings, finishing the match with a dominant 61% possession and an Expected Goals (xG) tally of 2.56 compared to Palace’s 1.11.
However, Oliver Glasner’s Crystal Palace refused to roll over. In the 89th minute, substitute Yeremy Pino measured an inch-perfect cross into the six-yard box for Jean-Philippe Mateta, who rose highest to glance a header into the empty net and halve the deficit.
Suddenly, the title party was put on hold as Palace pushed for an equalizer. In the 91st minute, Selhurst Park erupted when Pino fired a shot through a crowded penalty area and past Kepa Arrizabalaga. However, Arsenal were spared by a late VAR review, which correctly ruled that the ball had deflected off Evann Guessand in an offside position.
Eyes Turn to Europe
As the final whistle blew, the late scare was instantly forgotten by the traveling Arsenal supporters. Captain Martin Ødegaard, watching from the bench for most of the afternoon, took to the pitch to lift the Premier League trophy, officially marking the return of Arsenal to the pinnacle of English football.
For Crystal Palace, a 15th-place finish masks a season that has already delivered domestic silverware under Glasner. Both clubs will now immediately pivot their focus to the continent, with the Eagles traveling to Leipzig on Wednesday before Arsenal attempt to secure a historic double in Budapest next Saturday.
