Arsenal go to Selhurst Park on Sunday at 4pm with the Premier League title already secured and the trophy waiting for them at full-time. The champions were crowned 24 hours after beating Burnley on Monday, and they will now collect the silverware in front of their supporters after a season that has carried them back to the top of English football.
For Martin Odegaard, the afternoon carries a line of history with it. He is set to follow Patrick Vieira as the next Arsenal captain to lift the trophy, a moment that completes a 38-game campaign in which Mikel Arteta's side have been the standard throughout. Arteta said the club have only 48 hours to enjoy the success of winning the league before turning back to work, because Arsenal still have six days after this weekend to prepare for the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain in Budapest.
The league title was wrapped up with a result that left no room for doubt. Arsenal earned the crown 24 hours after the Burnley win, and the trip to Crystal Palace is the final league match of a championship season that has been years in the making. Arteta said Sunday will give the club a little window to celebrate, lift the trophy in a way it deserves and connect with the people around them, but he added that the next six days will be about writing a new history. The manager's focus is split, but not in equal measure for long: one day for the title, then straight into the work that leads to Budapest.
Palace arrive carrying a very different mood. They are winless in their last six Premier League games and have won only four of their 25 domestic matches since mid-December, a drop in form that has stood in sharp contrast to their brighter European run. They were also stunned by sixth-tier Macclesfield in the FA Cup, yet their season is not done; they are aiming for Europa Conference League glory three days after this match. Glasner has been clear that nobody should look anywhere else for Arsenal's title. He said you do not win the league on the last day, that it takes 38 games at a consistent high level, and that Arsenal deserve the prize because they did the work themselves.
There are still selection points for Arsenal as they manage a busy stretch. Mikel Merino has returned to training after five months out following foot surgery, though Jurrien Timber remains missing as he tries to be ready for the game against Paris Saint-Germain. Ben White is Arsenal's only other absentee after knee ligament damage against West Ham United a fortnight ago. Palace, meanwhile, are still waiting on the fitness of Chris Richards, who hurt a knee in Brentford's draw last week and looks set to miss the match. That leaves both sides balancing immediate concerns with what comes next, but only one will spend Sunday afternoon with a trophy in hand.
Glasner said Selhurst Park remains a special place because the fans are so close to the pitch and the stadium is tight, and he said he will miss that support. He is looking forward to one last 90 minutes at home, especially with the new Premier League winners visiting. For Arsenal, the picture is simpler: celebrate, collect the trophy, and move on fast. The champagne comes first. The Champions League final comes six days later.
