At a Glance:
Arsenal visit Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Sunday afternoon.
Despite already being crowned Premier League champions, Mikel Arteta’s men will want to go out on a high.
Palace have been dealt a significant injury blow ahead of the clash.
Crystal Palace will be without Chris Richards when Arsenal head to Selhurst Park on Sunday, and that gives Mikel Arteta one more final-week detail to weigh before the Champions League final.
The Gunners were crowned Premier League champions on Tuesday night when Bournemouth held Manchester City at the Vitality Stadium. This ended the North London club’s 22-year wait for an English top-flight title, and they now head to Budapest on a high.
That said, before travelling to Hungary, they must make the short trip south of the River Thames to take on Palace, where they will ultimately lift the Premier League trophy.
The Arsenal. Your Premier League champions. pic.twitter.com/gNnfzesrhP
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) May 19, 2026
Chris Richards out of Crystal Palace vs Arsenal
The Guardian have reported that Palace centre-back Chris Richards has torn ankle ligaments, with Oliver Glasner confirming the defender will miss Sunday’s Premier League finale against Arsenal and is also a doubt for Palace’s UEFA Conference League final.
Richards has been one of Palace’s more reliable defensive pieces this season, and his absence lands just as Arsenal prepare for their final domestic match of the season.
From the Gunners’ point of view, Richards being ruled out changes the shape of Sunday’s game more than it changes the stakes. The title is already won, but Arteta still needs a performance that keeps rhythm, sharpness and confidence in place before facing Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final.
Losing a starting centre-back could leave Palace less settled defensively, and Arsenal will naturally look at that as an opening. Set-pieces, early pressure and direct running into the channels all become slightly more attractive if Palace have to reshuffle.
At the same time, Arsenal supporters should not read too much into it. Palace still have enough quality to make Sunday awkward, and their own European final three days later means Glasner will be balancing competitiveness with caution across the whole side, not just in one position.
Arsenal fans, if you’ve got a spare two minutes today, watch this pic.twitter.com/iMzxFC5l0k
— COPA90 (@Copa90) May 20, 2026
The wider context for Arsenal
Crystal Palace they face Rayo Vallecano in Leipzig on Wednesday in the Conference League final.
That scheduling is what gives the Richards news extra relevance. Palace are trying to protect a European final while Arsenal are trying to stay sharp without picking up any new problems of their own. In that kind of match, one notable defensive absence is worth tracking even if it does not rise to the level of a major first-team Arsenal story.
If Arteta rotates heavily, the tactical value of Richards’ absence changes. If Arsenal go strong, it becomes a more immediate football angle.