After a gruelling 22-year wait for Premier League glory, the sweltering conditions were never going to halt Arsenal's title party. As chants of "we are unbearable" boomed out from a jubilant and celebratory sea of red inside a shaded corner of Selhurst Park, the heavily-rotated Gunners did what they have done for most of the season before finally getting their hands on the trophy they have long hunted.
Match Overview
There is just no getting away from the fact this was a game both teams could have done without, particularly as the scorching temperatures did not represent ideal preparation for major European finals. Arsenal looked like they'd blown a 2-0 lead late in the day when Yeremy Pino thought he'd snatched Crystal Palace a late point, however, the Spanish substitute's strike deflected off Evann Guessand, who was standing in an offside position. Even if the goal would have stood, you can't say it would have mattered a great deal.
Team Changes and Key Moments
Six days out from the Gunners' heavyweight Champions League showdown with PSG in Budapest, Arteta unsurprisingly made nine changes but it underlines Arsenal's strength in depth that they were still able to see the job through courtesy of goals from Gabriel Jesus and Noni Madueke. There was also still time for Max Dowman to write himself into the history books once again. He went clubbing with the Arsenal squad in Mayfair on Tuesday evening following their crowning moment, missed Champions League final media day on Thursday due to his GCSE examinations before becoming the youngest ever player to start a Premier League match at just 16 years and 144 days.
Meanwhile, Oliver Glasner also shuffled his pack yet still received a worrying injury blow just over 72 hours out from their Conference League final clash with Rayo Vallecano in Leipzig. Adam Wharton started on the bench, came on at half-time and hurt his ankle in a challenge with Myles Lewis-Skelly, who like his fellow countryman, also missed out on Thomas Tuchel's England World Cup squad this week. Wharton attempted to soldier on but was unable to continue and Glasner's face told its own story. He left the field unassisted and headed back to the dressing room for treatment.
Arsenal's Dominance
Despite the absence of Martin Odegaard and Eberechi Eze from Arsenal's starting XI, they certainly did not struggle to create opportunities. First Jesus curled an effort against the post inside the opening four minutes before Noni Madueke drove the rebound straight at Dean Henderson. Jesus then raced through and fluffed an attempt to dink Henderson when he instead should have squared to compatriot Gabriel Martinelli. Then it was Martinelli's turn to squander a glorious opportunity before he turned provider for Jesus' opener. The Brazilian, who netted twice at Selhurst Park last season, now has more final-day Premier League goal involvements (six goals, two assists) than any other player in the entire division.
Palace's Response and Late Drama
Palace pulled one back through Jean-Philippe Mateta's header which denied Arsenal the chance to match a club-record 30 wins without conceding - set by Bertie Mee's legendary Double-winning side of 1971 - in all competitions before Guessand's late effort was chalked off. Before Arsenal's ecstatic players headed back inside to change into their home strip, there was some concern over Piero Hincapie, who was seen clutching his ankle at the full-time whistle.
