Arsenal will be able to turn their focus to a hugely important match against Paris Saint-Germain in Hungary next weekend
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.
FOLLOW OUR ARSENAL FB PAGE! Latest Gunners news, analysis and much more via our dedicated Facebook page
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.
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.
“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.”
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.
