Arsenal must go all out on the final day of the 2025/26 Premier League season at Selhurst Park versus Crystal Palace.
The Gunners are in contention to seal their first league title in 22 years since the Invincibles’ 2003/04 campaign, and we can’t afford to lose a fourth consecutive title race, which would be beyond devastating.
Mikel Arteta’s side need to continue their impressive record versus The Eagles, who they’ve beaten across all competitions nine times in the past ten games, including two five-goal hauls over the past couple of seasons.
Arsenal’s strong record against Palace could prove decisive
Last time out in the league, the men in red and white narrowly toppled the current FA Cup holders at The Emirates Stadium 1-0 thanks to a single strike from Eberechi Eze, which was his first league goal for Arsenal against his former side since moving from the other side of the Thames for £67.5 million during the summer transfer window.
Currently, the men in red and blue, who are due to play in their first ever European final in the Europa Conference League versus Spanish side Rayo Vallecano at the end of May, haven’t won any of their last six games since beating Newcastle United 2-1 on 12th April.
The Gunners, on the other hand, have only won three of their last five games in the league and, even though we should win on paper, we almost slipped up against West Ham on Sunday, escaping with a much-needed 1-0 victory. We also fell short against Bournemouth at our fortress, The Emirates.
Arsenal cannot afford another late slip-up
Arsenal look as if they’ve learned the hard way since that abrasive day versus The Cherries, but it’s impossible to predict how we’ll perform on the final day of the season, where only a win will secure the league title.
Manchester City, who are still breathing down our necks, arguably have a tough couple of games to go versus AFC Bournemouth, ironically, and Aston Villa, two sides known for causing upsets, just like Everton, who held Pep Guardiola’s team to a 3-3 draw recently.
And we still have to get past Burnley on Monday night, which is not a foregone conclusion either..
But in the Premier League, nothing is guaranteed, so let’s hold on tight, Gooners, and hope The Arsenal keep turning up and finally lift the league title deservedly after three harrowing near misses!
COYG!
Liam Harding
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
ADMIN COMMENT
So here are some simple rules which I must insist commenters follow….
You agree not to give any personal abuse to other Arsenal fans. Everyone is allowed to hold their own opinions even if you disagree with them. It COSTS NOTHING TO BE POLITE TO OTHER ARSENAL FANS.
CALLING ALL ARSENAL FANS! Anyone who would like to contribute an Article or Video opinion piece on JustArsenal, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us through this link…
Let Arsenal beat Burnley on Monday first before we worry about Palace.
No game should be taken for granted please.
Agreed
We don’t underestimate Burnley and Palace, but they don’t really have anything to fight for in EPL
gotanidea
And now Villa have nothing to fight for, with last night’s Champions League qualification safe, but Bournemouth can still overtake Liverpool and get the fifth spot, so I’m still sticking with Arsenal being champions around 9.30 PM on Tuesday.
It feels unusual for there to be so many permutations. Liverpool have given Bournemouth ample reason to go for a smash and grab against City. I was surprised by the score last night
SueP, a match worth watching Tuesday😄
Make no mistake Jax, I’ll be watching 🤞 The first hurdle is Monday night
I won’t be watching Tuesday. It will be horrible watch., even if it goes our way. I’ll watch the Spuds at Chelsea game for light relief.
Help me Bournemouth, you’re my only hope!
Star wars puns aside, I really wouldn’t mind not needing to worry about Palace, but my sneak feeling is we will make hard work of it.
@Jax : Maybe Villa players will get a bigger bonus if they finish third in EPL
As for Bournemouth, I also hope they can help us crowned at the Emirates after the Burnley game
It would be a hell of celebration if that happens
Why is it so important to have something to play for versus nothing to play for? If Muff had nothing riding on it, just win last home game for fans, give manager send off, they could play a more dangerous way, less nerves than City. Sometimes it’s the totally relaxed, nothing to lose free hits that makes opponents play better than you.
I think it’s more to do if opponent has winning mentality and belief, stack of cleanies in the season, unbeaten runs, goals, that decides if someone is dangerous, not that they have outside chance of something riding on the game.
So it’s come to this. Arsenal Ned to win their next two games. Surprise surprise It’s all about winning and having as winning mentality. So much for the ArtetaBall apologists claiming that every one point slog was a step closer to the title. Had we beaten the likes of Wolves, Forest, Brentford, Liverpool etc we would have wrapped up the title a week or two ago.
So do City
Joe Schettino, just think if City115 hadn’t had dropped 5 points against the relegation fighting lot from N17 then they would be favourites for the PL.
He’s got his blinkers on HD.
He’s from the other side of the world, SueP. Maybe they see things a bit differently there.
Yet, if city130 loses one of its last 2 games, then another 2 of those “one point slog”s for us will be enough to clinch our title. Beyond belief that you still have these attempts to slam MA with these kind of comments.
SueP, it would seem that he’s not the only one after reading some of the posts on here.
Still hating on Arteta? We’re three games away from our best ever season after already achieving the most wins in a season in our history. What is wrong with you? Get behind him for forks sake!!!
Bro it doesn’t work that way you expected it. What if Man City also won all those matches that they dropped points? This is a game, it must not go your way every time.
Even though we have one hand on the title with the favourable games on our side, we almost threw everything away at least 3 times, infact we did throw it away but for city115 being bad and handling it back to us every single time. That being said Mikel Arteta deserves credit for his insistence and doggedness in keeping to his strong defence plan and for the way he started the season on a high flying mode. He also deserves criticism for the way he mishandled some games effectively gifting city115 the title.
Had city won Forest (that Murillo last minute goal clearance) and Everton, we wouldn’t be here talking about 3 games to history making. With that said I strongly believe we need to play the way we did at the begining of the season when we were blowing teams away.
We’re Champions Elect. Jump on the train!
“Champions Elect” sounds more like something in the bag, not a live title race going to last day, maybe even goal difference. Champions elect is 10 points clear, everyone 4 to play. This ain’t that. This is more like fans trying to climb back into a stadium having walked out a few minutes earlier.
If it does happen, do we have the trophy lifting and ticker tape at the palace game? On a London rivals ground? Is there a helicopter booked?
Champions Elect!!!
EA
Your posts suggest you’re conflicted. You read as if you’re experiencing [mixed-up] emotions or an internal struggle: Sounds like you’re torn between opposing choices, beliefs, or desires. Let me help (with humility), popular consensus among most is that the EPL does not lie. Who holds pole position is there by merit and those at bottom need look at there own performance as reason they are down there. Now is not the moment with 2x games left for any banging on about the “If and buts” or “maybes.” Man Citeh this, that and the other.
Boxers (by analogy) prepare for their showdown not by concentrating only on what an opponent can do but more fixating on a reality they will be bringing to the table, right?
How bout you go get some confetti, a party hat ready and little drink or something to relax and watch what unfolds in the gunners next Home tie versus Burnley fc. We have a 16yr old waiting to become a PL champion, perhaps even more?
Even more reasons to be cheerful.
There are a lot of “ifs” back and forth during any season and MA does deserve criticism to some extent as do all managers but city130 has not been gifted the title and as they say the table doesn’t lie at the end of the season.
Are you saying that city130 also threw it away, as they kept handing it back to us EA?
Surely that would make them as big a “bottlers” as they say we are in the PL!!
I can’t understand why MA gets all this criticism from a minority of our fans and most of the media.
Surely Guardiola mishandled certain games and, effectively, may have handed the PL title back to us by not beating Forest and Everton – but it seems he is never criticised, even by Arsenal fans!!
So excited and nervous at the same time.
Don’t underestimate Burnley. We have and can slip up against lower league teams.
We need to focus on beating Burnley and try to score a few goals in case we and City tie on points which is very possible. I think if City win both matches and we win one and draw one, City and us will be tied with 83 points, so goals could be important.
Bournemouth vs City is a possible banana skin and if City draw (or lose) and we win, then that’s the perfect scenario because the last match will be a dead rubber match.
But step by step. Let’s beat Burnley first
@Stephanie,
Citys GD is now 1 better than ours. If you assume we need better GD, you also assume City will win both of those matches while we draw one, win one. That means Citys GD will be AT LEAST 3 better than ours of they only win by 1 goal each game.
I cant see us winning Burnley by 4 or 5 goals so I believe to rely on better GD to win title, is out of question for us.
I think only focus on winning Burnley, hoping Bournemouth does us a favor and/or win the remaining Palace match, are our only objectives left.
👍✅
I don’t accept the notion we’ll be reliant on GD to win the PL: to do so is to trust to luck rather than winning both games outright. Rather we will WIN BOTH remaining games and do so *handsomely and thereby finish-off this PL campaign [properly] before turning to the CL task.
I’m sure that we will win both games, but it’s not a bad idea to have the safety net of goal difference.
I wonder if Bournemouth take points off City, and us hopefully having won the night before. Now being confirmed as champions, the streets around the Emirates would no doubt be filled with jubilant Arsenal fans.
Just as Highbury was when we won the league after beating Liverpool at Anfield by those two clear goals that we needed.
On being told about the streets being full, David Rocastle said that he wished he could have been there to see it. But couldn’t for obvious reasons.
DEREK,
Have you seen the Nick Hornby film Fever Pitch?
Jax, funnily enough, I was talking to Phil (PAL) earlier today and he mentioned Fever Pitch and we both agreed what a fantastic book it is.
As Phil said, it’s a book for every football fan – all one has to do, is substitute The Arsenal for the club they support.
Ken, I have it in my Kindle library. The film’s pretty good too.
Jax,
Yes I have and it was a very good watch.👍
DEREK
So, the ending was just as you imagine the jubilant Emirates celebrations might be.
Jax,
Yes that scenario would be very welcome. 👍
But isnt that an insult to aston villa are we all saying they have no chance against Man City.
Hopefully Bournemouth can help us out. But I agree there is no point in talking about Palace yet because we must beat Burnley first or it won’t matter much
Shouldn’t even be in this position after being 9 points ahead
@Dan kit
🎯 👍🏾
When we began the season none of us envisaged that we would be where we are at this time of the season. What has enabled us to be here? Simple answer is our consistency throughout the season. However, consistency doesn’t mean winning every game. It simply means doing better than the others. I, therefore, get surprised when I see some people bashing Arteta and his management team for each and every mishap that happens to Arsenal. What these people forget is that it is Mikel Arteta who turned our fortunes around after we had slipped out of the top four for three seasons in a row. No serious Arsenal fan should forget this history.
For those who have Arteta hate syndrome, I don’t think we can do much about it. Love and hate are attitudes of the mind which don’t necessarily follow logic. However, let the haters not influence others to do likewise. Many of us are Arsenal supporters, not Arteta supporters. Our only concern with Arteta should be that he delivers the goods. The idea of Arteta Out Brigade and other such stuff is completely uncalled for when the team is performing as well as it is.
that’s not true though mate is it ?
Could you please expand on that?
so he’s saying none of us envisaged we would be In this position?
that is not true
I know a reader asked why can’t we win every game ?
why can’t we win all 4 ?
that Pep is scared because he’s been surpassed
that Arteta had now tatically surpassed Mr Wenger and revolutionised Arsenal
that we are a juggernaut.
that this is a changing of the guard
that Arteta will win everything and win more at Arsenal then Wenger
so it’s not true to say no one said we would. be In this position
lots of fans did
I suppose lots and a few are pretty much the same. It wasn’t a whole swathe of people… just a few. It really is a case of splitting hairs
no I would say more said Arsenal would challenge for the title then not
Dan,
Why couldn’t we win every game?
Why couldn’t we have won all four?
At one time in the season, we had only lost one in over 30 games. Wouldn’t you say that was a juggernaut?
Hasn’t Arteta revolutionised our club since arriving? Finishing second three times in a row has never happened before, a CL final, only the second in our history, galvanising the Emirates stadium unlike we’ve never seen before isn’t revolutionising the club?
How do you see Pep’s mind games regarding referees, var and what team Palace will put out in their final match?
Mind games or is he scared?
Of the others regarding Wenger, I’m with you, but they are opinions mate.
Can I suggest that the seven examples were not given by one individual, but, rather, a collaboration of a small minority of fans?
yeah mate so none of that would be ……none of us envisaged that we would be where we are at this time of the season.
to answer your questions though so …..
yes from a literal point of view I guess any team could win every game or every trophy .
Realistically though we were never close to playing to that level of doing what has never been done before
we lost our third game of the season so no we were not close to winning every game
a juggernaut can’t be stopped ….this team was stopped In the third game of the season and would be stopped numerous times
has he revolutionised Arsenal?
No lol he has yet to do anything that hasn’t been done before
most predicted we would challenge for title , it’s now about proving we can get over the line
if he fails to do that , he hasn’t revolutionised anything
I don’t think Pep is scared of anyone , I think he’s happy with the job he’s done lol
yes they were not given by one person so hence , this idea that no one saw this coming isn’t true
it’s just an attempt to move the narrative in case we fail
Dan, if we lose, there will be no need to move any narrative – we will have failed.
Para 3: We were playing at that level up and until we lost the Carabo cup final – unbeaten in the CL, into the 6th round of the FA cup and top of the PL.
Para 4: Agree.
Para 5: A Juggernaut is not an “unstoppable force” as described in the Collins Concise Dictionary,, but rather a, but rather “a terrible force that demands complete self sacrifice” and, judging from our injuries and last ditch defensive saves, I would think that we could still be described as a Juggernaut, at least up and until the Carabo cup final.
Para 6: I beg to differ. I can’t find anywhere in our history where we gave finished 2nd three seasons in a row.
I know you are unlucky enough not to have seen many, if any, PL games at the Emirates, but I can assure you he has revolutionised the atmosphere at the Emirates, both inside and out.
Para 10: If you think Pep will be happy if he comes second in the PL and getting knocked out of the CL, then I’m of the opinion you don’t really know Guardiola.
How many times have we been told that winning domestic cups is “nice” but the PL and the CL are the big ones?
That’s why he’s questioning var and the Palace line up for our last game, he wants to put pressure on everyone involved with our final two PL games.
I’m amazed how many Arteta detractors are now saying they are not surprised to see us top of the PL with two games to go, along with being in the CL final – if EVER a narrative was being moved in case we succeed, this is THE perfect example. lol!!
I’m not an Arteta detractor
Im simply saying it’s not true that no one envisaged we would be here
which you agree with
I been at the Emirates allot and I agree he’s improved the atmosphere
Yes we have finished 2nd 3 times in a row
a juggernaut is a large power force that cannot be stopped or moved
didn’t say Pep wouldn’t be happy , I said I don’t think he’s scared
We have been top for over 90% of the season. We won every cl group phase game as top scorers overall and from open play. We beat Bayern (cl semi, German champs) 3-1, Inter (italian champs) 3-1 and Atletico (cl semi) 4-0. What do you mean nobody saw this coming? We were bookie favs for both the prem and cl the majority of the season.
Last season we finished 2nd above man city and got to the semi final knocking out real madrid 5-1 who had knocked out city 6-3. We beat city 5-1 and psg 2-0 that year.
Season before that we got our 2nd highest points total, 1 point behind the invincibles whilst setting the record for goals scored. Lost the title on the last day by 2 points. All thanks to going 16-1-1 in the 2nd half of the season. We were knocked out the cl 2-1 by Bayern in the quarters.
To say nobody saw this coming is a bold faced lie. Everyone including the bookmakers who only care about money have seen this coming most of the season.
Also dan you do realise we have been in 2 cl finals in our entire history and 1 is this year. We have been in 4 cl sem-finals in our history 2 were this season and last. You are getting to wellness check levels of delusion at this point.
no dude you have not read properly
I never said no one expected this
I’m saying it’s not true what David is saying
so your agreeing with me lol
Fair dos, at least i got to throw the records out again
well it’s hardly a shock you got something wrong is it lol
So used to negativity especially but not exclusively from our rivals this season its fried my brain slightly
I mean my average of wrong v right is insanely stacked on the right side ever since covid but when im wrong im usually way out. Usually due to misreading like now or being far too many pints deep.
well it’s the second time in a row tried to come after me and made yourself look silly lol
my advice is if your going to be rude to someone make sure you have your facts lined up
first you don’t know about Henry and Ian Wright scoring record in their first season and now your accusing me of being delusional when you agree with me
can I ask though why your not challenging the person who actually said we didn’t envisage this ?
What do you mean 2nd time in a row the last time you came after me on my standalone comment being a complete snide snake deliberately hoping id respond. I made a fool of myself being drunk and thinking you were just doing what youu had done 100 times before wrongly.
so are you going to now call the person who said it delusional or was it just me you were trying to target ?
Honestly i was gonna just ignore this site forever, its generally much more enjoyable but will do. So are you now admitting Arteta has done a fantastic job? And we are moving in the right direction?
when did I say he did a terrible job or we were not going In the right direction
for example when did I say he should be sacked ?
I have always said get us over the line he has done a great job
Ive read the entire thread twice now and it is you being a snide snake again… what a surprise. Get a life dan.
I literally responded to David ….that is. not true is it
that’s quite clear
only expanded because Sue asked me too
“ When we began the season none of us envisaged that we would be where we are”
Didn’t we ?
More fluff ….
So you thought MA was good enough a manager to get us to the CL final and just two games away from winning the PL then DK?
I could have sworn you said he was a joke of a manager – have I got that wrong?
I’m looking 👀 forward on seeing how that question will be answered 🤔
🤣🤣🤣
Did I say me personally?
I actually had a bet that we win the CL ,so my fluff from you .
So what, exactly, is your opinion of Mikel Arteta then DK?
😂pretty sure you asked me this question not so long ago ,maybe take on board what’s written at the time or go back and have a gander .
Nice your simpy friend turned up to support you 👇 how cute .
No I haven’t, as all your previous posts seemed to say you didn’t rate him at all.
Then suddenly, as we are two games away from the PL and into the CL final, you seem to have changed your mind.
I’m all for fans changing their minds and, as I did with Arteta, after we finished 5th and it’s been a great ride ever since.
So where DO you stand regarding Mikel Arteta as we come to the end of the season, or do you want to wait until you see where we finish up?
Now your trying to tell me how I think 😂
My previous post are and always have been I don’t like the bloke ,is that what you want to hear .
Regarding his management,I’ve always said he’s a good manager nothing more ,even if we win either ,or the 2 trophies my opinion won’t change no matter how much you want it to .
Final time I answer that stupid question .
We’re *
It wasn’t that funny fella .
David Ruso
Early season, many, in fact, most of us here expected Arsenal to be not just challenging, but in a winning position in the Premier League. Not so much the Champions League, which has turned out surprisingly well so far.
Arteta only takes flak, from the usual hate mob, when we lose or have unconvincing wins.
Apologies, David “Rusa”. I’ll get it right one of these days.
Angus
May 17, 2026 at 5:51 pm
We have been top for over 90% of the season. We won every cl group phase game as top scorers overall and from open play. We beat Bayern (cl semi, German champs) 3-1, Inter (italian champs) 3-1 and Atletico (cl semi) 4-0. What do you mean nobody saw this coming? We were bookie favs for both the prem and cl the majority of the season.
Last season we finished 2nd above man city and got to the semi final knocking out real madrid 5-1 who had knocked out city 6-3. We beat city 5-1 and psg 2-0 that year.
Season before that we got our 2nd highest points total, 1 point behind the invincibles whilst setting the record for goals scored. Lost the title on the last day by 2 points. All thanks to going 16-1-1 in the 2nd half of the season. We were knocked out the cl 2-1 by Bayern in the quarters.
To say nobody saw this coming is a bold faced lie. Everyone including the bookmakers who only care about money have seen this coming most of the season.
Relax
If we beat Burnley, then we will win the league on Tuesday. I don’t see how Many City will beat Bournemouth who also need a win to have a chance to play in next season’s Champions League