Arsenal are Premier League champions, and on Sunday night Martin Ødegaard is expected to hoist the trophy in South London after the final fixture of the season. Palace Vs Arsenal will now carry more than the usual end-of-season weight, with the title presentation set to follow a match that was already due to be played in front of a packed home crowd at Crystal Palace.
The title was secured on Tuesday night when Manchester City drew 1-1 with Bournemouth, ending any remaining doubt after Arsenal had beaten Burnley 1-0 at home 24 hours earlier. Kai Havertz scored the winner against Burnley with a header from a Bukayo Saka corner, and the result now stands as the final move in a championship campaign that was waiting only for City to slip.
That slip came, and the reaction was immediate. More than 150,000 supporters gathered outside Emirates Stadium after the title was confirmed, a crowd that made clear how long this had been coming. Arsenal have won their first league title in 22 years, and the size of the celebration matched the length of the wait. One fan summed up the mood simply: Arsenal are Premier League champions. Another, unwilling to let the moment pass, added: Nope, still not tired of saying that.
The backdrop matters because this is not just a trophy handover. Arsenal had finished runners-up three times in succession before finally getting over the line, and that history gives Sunday’s ceremony its edge. The presentation is not expected to start much earlier than around 6:30pm local time, and it is likely to take place in front of the 2,687 Arsenal supporters in the far right corner of the Arthur Wait Stand. For the club, it is the public end to a season that turned pressure into proof.
Crystal Palace, though, have their own plans for the evening. They want an end-of-season celebration on the pitch after the match, along with a lap of appreciation, and they also want to celebrate the departing Oliver Glasner. That means the trophy presentation may be delayed, even if the title itself has long since been decided. Arsenal will be waiting for the formal moment, but Palace are determined to shape the atmosphere around it.
For viewers, the occasion will be shown live on Sky Sports Premier League, Ultra HD and SkyGo in the UK and Ireland, and on CNBC in the United States. The football has already settled the championship. Sunday is about the ceremony, the crowd and the final image of Arsenal lifting a title that had been 22 years in the making.
