Arsenal ended their title run on Sunday by beating Crystal Palace and lifting the Premier League trophy at Selhurst Park, completing a season that brought the club its first championship since 2004. Gabriel Jesus and Noni Madueke scored in the win, and the silverware was handed over after the final whistle as players, staff and supporters marked the end of a long wait.
That is why people are asking what did Arsenal win now: the answer is the league title, and the presentation came on the final day of the season rather than at a separate celebration. Max Dowman, 16 years and 144 days old, also made history by becoming the youngest player to start a Premier League game, adding one more line to a day Arsenal will remember for far more than the scoreline.
The occasion had the feel of a guarded celebration. Crystal Palace gave Arsenal a guard of honour before kickoff, but the home side still had its own demands to juggle, with a European final looming on Wednesday and only four of its players here expected to start against Rayo Vallecano. Yéremy Pino had an equaliser ruled out for offside before Jean-Philippe Mateta scored a late consolation, a reminder that even in a title party, the match still had edge.
Oliver Glasner completed a lap of honour in what was his last home match in charge of Palace, while club chairman Steve Parish congratulated Arsenal and then asked for five minutes of quiet. Stan Kroenke watched from the stands on a rare visit, and the scene settled into something bigger than one afternoon: Arsenal had their trophy, Palace had their farewell moments, and both clubs now turn immediately to Europe.
Arsenal’s next test comes on Saturday against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final, and Mikel Arteta made clear the league celebration was not the endpoint. He said the club had already talked about what it must do in Budapest and how it would use the energy it is carrying into the final, adding that it cannot wait to write a new chapter in the history of the club and win the Champions League.
