Arsenal will be able to turn their focus to a hugely important match against Paris Saint-Germain in Hungary next weekend
07:56, 20 May 2026
Gabriel of Arsenal applauds the fans with teammates after the team's victory in the Premier League match between Arsenal and Burnley at Emirates Stadium on May 18, 2026 in London, England.
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Arsenal have received a European boost(Image: Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Arsenal's final day fixture against Crystal Palace won't carry quite the same weight of expectation after the Gunners sealed the Premier League title on Tuesday. And that could give them a boost ahead of the Champions League final.
Manchester City's late draw with Bournemouth secured the Gunners' first league title since 2004. Had City escaped the Vitality Stadium with all three points, then the title race would have gone down to the final day of the season.
That would've put immense pressure on Mikel Arteta's side to secure a win away at Crystal Palace. However, this is no longer the case, meaning the north Londoners could use the opportunity to rest key players ahead of the Champions League final.
At the very least, Arteta may now choose to utilise his substitutions at little earlier at Selhurst Park, even if he does opt to field a full-strength team in south London.
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Paris Saint-Germain's domestic season ended last weekend, with Luis Enrique's side securing their 14th title despite a 2-1 loss to Paris FC. This means they will be afforded an extra week's rest to prepare for another European final.
However, this seemingly significant advantage has now arguably been diminished, with the pressure now off Arsenal going into the final day.
Kai Havertz celebrates scoring the Arsenal goal with (L) Bukayo Saka and (2ndR) Cristhian Mosquera during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Burnley at Emirates Stadium on May 18, 2026 in London, England.
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Arsenal's 1-0 win over Burnley was enough to secure the Premier League title(Image: Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Arteta also history with their title triumph, becoming the first former Arsenal captain to lead the club to a Premier League crown. The Spaniard has come agonisingly close in recent years, finishing second three seasons in a row prior to this eventual victory.
Speaking after the Gunners' 1-0 win over Burnley that ended up securing the trophy, Arteta admitted that something special was going on inside the Emirates Stadium.
He said: "It's incredible to witness what we have created in this stadium. Obviously I have memories from the past, and the comparison is unbelievable to watch. I'm so proud of that.
Arsenal's Gabriel Magalhaes, Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka and Mikel Merino celebrate after watching AFC Bournemouth v Manchester City at Sobha Realty Training Centre on May 19, 2026 in London Colney, England.
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The Gunners will celebrate this week before shifting focus to the Champions League final(Image: Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
"Today they have created something so special outside the stadium, in the stadium. Now we have set the standards that we are responsible for maintaining because we can provide that, and we know the outcome."
Reflecting on the importance of the upcoming European final compared to last year, Arteta added: "At that point, we knew that we were going to finish second and we didn't have another final to play.
"So, what I said to them - see you at Selhurst Park and then see you in Budapest, another two to play."
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Arsenal will face PSG in the Champions League final on Saturday, May 30 at the Puskas Arena in Budapest, Hungary. The game will kick off at 5pm and is set to be streamed live on TNT Sports.
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