Arsenal will enter Selhurst Park as Premier League champions, as Mikel Arteta will want a smashing end to the season as Crystal Palace play host this weekend.
Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner will probably be one of the most relieved men following Arsenal’s crowning as Premier League champions. In the build-up to the final game of the season against the Gunners at Selhurst Park, the Austrian was under severe media pressure to name a strong side, although he had no real reason to do so.
The pressure evolved from the narrative of the Premier League title race going down to the wire, but in truth, even if that was the case, Glasner had no real reason to name a strong side. Palace have their Conference League Final to look forward to three days after the Arsenal game, and irrespective of how the title race panned out, the manager was expected to make plenty of key changes.
Last weekend, Palace put a dent in Brentford’s European hopes with a 2-2 draw at the Gtech Stadium. The Eagles have nothing left to gain from their league season, as they could only finish one position higher than the 15th place they currently occupy. In the event of a loss and a win for Nottingham Forest, the worst Palace can finish is 16th, as all their focus is on their Conference League Final on Wednesday.
The visitors, the new Premier League champions, Arsenal, will come with their heads held high following the events of the past week. A narrow 1-0 win at home to Burnley, courtesy of a Kai Havertz header in the first half, proved enough to collect the all-important three points, and following that, the team shifted their attention towards the Vitality Stadium in the hope that Bournemouth could take points off Manchester City.
In what was considered a difficult outing for Manchester City, Eli Junior Kroupi wrote his name in Arsenal folklore with a first-half strike. Pep Guardiola’s side did find a late equaliser, but that wasn’t enough to keep them in the race, as Arsenal were crowned Premier League champions after a 22-year wait.
Arsenal also have a huge European clash to look forward to, as they take on Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the month in the Champions League Final. For Mikel Arteta, this current moment is one of his dreams, and ahead of taking his players through the guard of honour at Selhurst Park, the focus will be on finishing the season on a high note and being in a terrific mindset ahead of the big Budapest final.
Team News & Tactics
Crystal Palace
With the pressure of naming a strong side to make the title race interesting now out of the way, Glasner is widely expected to make considerable changes to his playing eleven. There are some injury concerns to deal with, too, as Chris Richards is ruled out of the Arsenal clash, and the manager stated he is a doubt for the Conference League Final.
There were also concerns in the Brentford clash for defenders Maxence Lacroix and Chadi Riad, although the latter could turn up fit. Jefferson Lerma could slot in at the back alongside Riad and Jaydee Canvot. Glasner will also be expected to rest key midfielders Adam Wharton and Daichi Kamada, meaning there could be an opportunity for U-21 star Kaden Rodney to start alongside Will Hughes in the middle.
Justin Devenney is also in line for a start in the attacking third, as forgotten star Christianrus Uche could lead the line as his loan spell comes to an end. One of Jorgen Strand Larsen or Jean-Philippe Mateta could be used off the bench, while Brennan Johnson could start this game.
Even on the wings, Glasner could ring the changes as he may not want to risk Daniel Munoz for this dead rubber, with Nathaniel Clyne set to start there. Similarly, Tyrick Mitchell could be handed some rest if Borna Sosa is fit enough to start and finish the game.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1) – Henderson; Riad, Lerma, Canvot; Clyne, Rodney, Hughes, Sosa; Devenney, Johnson; Uche
Arsenal
Much like Glasner, Arteta, too, could rest his key stars ahead of the Champions League Final later in the month. Given the quality of the squad depth, the Spaniard would still be able to put out a strong lineup. At the moment, resting important performers is paramount, especially Declan Rice, William Saliba, and Bukayo Saka.
Christian Norgaard could be handed his first Premier League start, but where he plays will be key, as Arteta could use him as cover for Saliba at the back. The manager has played the Danish midfielder in defence on multiple occasions this season, and that is where he could feature. Gabriel Magalhaes could still start, while Marli Salmon and Piero Hincapie might feature in the full-back roles.
On the injury front, Jurrien Timber is the only one still in significant doubt, as Mikel Merino returned to training at a crucial period of the season. Ben White is out for the season, as Arteta will protect Cristhian Mosquera for the Champions League showdown and not risk playing him just yet.
Gabriel Jesus could lead the line, while Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli are the preferred options on the wings for this game. Martin Zubimendi and Myles Lewis-Skelly could feature in midfield, while Eberechi Eze might play in the attacking role against his old side.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1) – Raya; Salmon, Norgaard, Gabriel, Hincapie; Zubimendi, Lewis-Skelly; Madueke, Eze, Martinelli; Jesus
Key Stats
- Crystal Palace head into the final day knowing they can finish anywhere from 14th to 16th.
- Crystal Palace have won only two Premier League home games since beating Brentford in early November.
- Arsenal have won their last three trips to Selhurst Park, scoring eight times.
- Arsenal will enter the pitch as Premier League champions for the first time in 22 years.
Player to Watch
Eberechi Eze
Glasner, in his press conference, specifically congratulated Eze on his Premier League title win and stated that he probably made the right choice in the summer to join Arsenal. And rightly so, as the England international will return to Selhurst Park as a champion, with a guard of honour waiting for him.
Add the upcoming Champions League Final and an England call-up for the World Cup to the equation, and Eze will be more than motivated to put on a show for Arsenal. He will be the man to watch at Selhurst Park, both emotionally and from a performance standpoint, as he will want to be at his best ahead of the Champions League showdown with PSG.
Prediction
Crystal Palace 1-2 Arsenal
Palace are not expected to name a strong side, and that could weaken their approach to the game. While Glasner will not care a bit which way the result goes, he will hope for a win in his final game at Selhurst Park, although a changed Arsenal side might be too strong for his liking.
Coming into this game as the newly crowned Premier League champions, Arsenal will want to put on a show even with a much-changed team. The Gunners are strong enough for this Palace side and will be expected to secure a win before lifting the trophy at Selhurst Park.