PREVIEW | Crystal Palace vs Arsenal [Premier League, Matchweek 38]

Today, I cannot start the blog without reminding you that Arsenal have become English champions after a wait of more than twenty years. The charges Mikel Arteta's This was aided by a draw for Manchester City, who failed to beat Bournemouth in their rearranged seventeenth-round match. Although the North London footballers could not celebrate winning the title on the pitch, the euphoria in the Gunners' camp was enormous. They will be able to savour their success again at Selhurst Park, where they will receive the Premier League winners' trophy after the match, regardless of the result. The match between Crystal Palace and Arsenal will be purely symbolic for both teams, especially as both have European finals ahead of them. Arsenal will be fighting for the Champions League, while Crystal Palace will be fighting for the Conference League.

Basic information

📅 Date and time	🏟️ Stadium	⚽️ Match	🏆 Competition
24. 5. 2026, 17:00 (CET)	Selhurst Park	Crystal Palace v Arsenal	Premier League (Matchweek 38)

Form

Looking at current form, at least from a results perspective, Arsenal are clear favourites, having won four and drawn one of their last five matches. On top of all that, the Arsenal players will be in great spirits after securing the title, so they should go into the match against Crystal Palace with complete confidence. Despite significantly weaker results compared to Arsenal, Oliver Glasner's men should also go into their final league match without any pressure. They have nothing left to play for in their domestic league and, as I mentioned, they also have a historic European final to look forward to. In terms of their last five matches, the Eagles have only won once, drawn twice, and lost twice. You can find all the necessary information on current form in the following tables.

Arsenal

📈 Current form: 🟢 🟢 🟢 🟢 🟡

⚽️ Results: Arsenal 1:0 Burnley (PL), West Ham 0:1 Arsenal (PL), Arsenal 1:0 Atlético (CL), Arsenal 3:0 Fulham (PL), Atlético 1:1 Arsenal (CL)

🏆 Premier League position: 1st (82 points)

Crystal Palace

📈 Current form: 🟡 🔴 🟡 🟢 🔴

⚽️ Results: Brentford 2:2 Crystal Palace (PL), Manchester City 3:0 Crystal Palace (PL), Crystal Palace 2:2 Everton (PL), Crystal Palace 2:1 Shakhtar Donetsk (ECL), Bournemouth 3:0 Crystal Palace (PL)

🏆 Premier League position: 15th (45 points)

Team and expected line-up

With the Premier League title virtually secured and the Champions League final on the horizon, there should only be one outcome: significant squad rotation. In the past, when I've called for more rotation, Mikel Arteta has only partially heeded my requests. However, this time, I believe it will be different. So, let's take a look at what Arsenal's starting lineup could look like away at Crystal Palace.

Predicted line-up Crystal Palace vs Arsenal

Goalkeeper

The biggest question in defence, at least for me, concerns the goalkeeper position. David Raya He secured the Golden Glove and equalled the club record for clean sheets in a season (19), so it makes sense that Kepa might get a chance between the posts. However, I can imagine that Raya himself will want to extend his clean sheet tally. Personally, I'm leaning towards the Arsenal number one starting on the bench this time.

Defence

He won't have that many variations here (most likely). I think the only one of Arsenal's defensive mainstays who won't start is Gabriel. Piero Hincapié could well start in his place this time. The rest of the defensive quartet will most likely be the same as in the previous match against Burnley.

Midfield

Conversely, an unconventional lineup can be seen in midfield, or rather, could be. I expect Christian Nørgaard in the defensive midfield position, with Martín Zubimendi potentially operating alongside him. And who will play at number 10? Personally, I would really like to see Max Dowman in the starting lineup. I cannot imagine a better opportunity to include the English teenager in the Premier League starting eleven. It will be a special return to the crime scene for Eberechi Eze, who moved to Arsenal at the start of the current season from Crystal Palace. Although I don't expect him to start from the first minute, I am almost certain that we will see him on the pitch, at least for a short while.

Attack

Changes are easiest to make in attack, so I expect a completely different trio. In my opinion, Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli will start on the wings, while Gabriel Jesus could appear at the tip of the attack. The main reason is definitely saving energy for the Champions League final. Another perspective on rotation is that players who haven't played much this season will get their deserved time on the pitch.

Absences

The only officially confirmed injured player at this time is Ben White, who unfortunately will no longer play in this year's edition. The great news is that he has rejoined the team Mikel Merino, and will therefore be available for the match at Selhurst Park. The question remains whether he'll make the squad, but personally, I think Mikel Arteta will include him in the squad, also due to the upcoming Champions League final. The race against time before the final match of the millionaires' competition is also being fought by Jurriën Timber, who is most likely to miss out on the squad for the match against Crystal Palace. Let's see who ultimately makes the squad to face Crystal Palace.

Opponent

🏟️ Stadium: Selhurst Park, London (capacity 25,486)

👔 Manager: Oliver Glasner

🧤GoalkeepersWalter Benítez, Dean Henderson

🛡️ Defenders: Jaydee Canvot, Nathaniel Clyne, Maxence Lacroix, Tyrick Mitchell, Daniel Muñoz, Chadi Riad, Chris Richards, Borna Sosa

🎯 Midfielders: Justin Devenny, Joel Drakes-Thomas, Will Hughes, Daichi Kamada, Jefferson Lerma, Kaden Rodney, Christantus Uche, Adam Wharton, Cheick Doucoure

⚽️ Forwards: Evann Guessand, Brennan Johnson, Jørgen Strand Larsen, Jean-Philippe Mateta, Eddie Nketiah, Yeremy Pino, Ismaila Sarr

🚑 Injuries: Chris Richards, Borna Sosa, Cheick Doucouré, Eddie Nketiah

⚠️ Suspensions:

Match

A match like the one awaiting us on Sunday is incredibly difficult to predict. Quality, form, and mental state will certainly favour Arsenal. At the same time, it will undoubtedly be more pleasant to lift the trophy for the competition's winner after a victory. All the pressure Arsenal has been under practically all season will also be gone at Selhurst Park. On the other hand, the lineup will certainly be changed, and the motivation won't be the same as before.

There are also several conflicting factors on Crystal Palace's side. This is the last home game of the season, with which the Eagles players will say goodbye to the fans at Selhurst Park. Furthermore, it will be the last game for manager Oliver Glasner, who is leaving the London club after this season. More precisely, his last game on the Crystal Palace bench in the Premier League. However, the Conference League final, in which Crystal Palace will face Spanish team Rayo Vallecano, must certainly be taken into account. A changed line-up can therefore also be expected on the Eagles' side. I wouldn't want to forget to add that Crystal Palace are playing for virtually nothing in the Premier League anymore.

Regarding the actual spectacle of the game, I think we could see a rather attractive display of football with Arsenal dominating. Given the more relaxed atmosphere on both sides, I'd dare to predict that we might also see a decent number of goals, which could be scored at both ends.

Tip for an accurate result

I believe that Arsenal will bid farewell to their title-winning season with a victory, even with a changed lineup. I'm predicting a 3:1 win for Arsenal.

Next match

The next match, which will also be the final match of the season, will be the real cherry on top. Arsenal faces a trip to Budapest, where they will take on the defending champions, PSG, in the Champions League final. The match is scheduled for 30 May 2026 at 18:00 (CET). Will golden history be written for the North London club in Hungary?

See you next time, I'll look forward to it!

You might be interested in

• PREVIEW | Arsenal vs Burnley [Premier League, Matchweek 37]
• PREVIEW | West Ham vs Arsenal [Premier League, Matchweek 36]
• PREVIEW | Atlético vs Arsenal [Champions League, Semi-final]
• PREVIEW | Arsenal vs Fulham [Premier League, Matchweek 35]
• PREVIEW | Atlético vs Arsenal [Champions League, Semi-Final]