Report: Palace suffer narrow defeat to Arsenal in final league game

Two quickfire goals from Gabriel Jesus and Noni Madueke either side of half-time decided an otherwise close contest.

Jean-Philippe Mateta did come off the bench to score his 50th Premier League goal late on in Oliver Glasner’s final Premier League fixture as Manager. But an entertaining game ended 2-1 to the Gunners.

Summary:

• Oliver Glasner makes five changes for his final Palace team of the season, with Rio Cardines getting his first senior start.
• 9: Gabriel Jesus hits the post for Arsenal with the first chance of the day.
• 12: Henderson denies Jesus with a 1v1 stop.
• 15: Muñoz forces a smart save from Kepa with a diving header.
• 23: Referee Farai Hallam instructs the players to take a drinks break on a hot afternoon in SE25.
• 42 - GOAL: Jesus gets a run on Clyne and fires a low shot past Henderson.
• HT: Palace 0-1 Arsenal
• 48 - GOAL: Madueke doubles the Arsenal lead with a smart finish.
• 49: Pino heads just wide of the post.
• 64: Cardines flashes a shot wide from a tight angle.
• 73: Riad fails to make contact from a dangerous Hughes corner as Palace rally.
• 88 - GOAL: Mateta heads home to get Palace back in it.
• 90 + 3: Pino has the ball in the Arsenal net, but it's disallowed for offside following a VAR review.
• 90 + 6: Riad sees a header saved by Kepa.
• FT: Palace 1-2 Arsenal

On a scorching South London afternoon, both sets of fans were in party mode in SE25.

Arsenal were anticipating lifting their first Premier League trophy in 22 years, as well as looking forward to next week’s Champions League Final.

But it was day to celebrate and savour for the Eagles. As well as our ‘send-off’ fixture before Wednesday’s night of destiny in Leipzig, it was also Glasner’s final outing at Selhurst Park as Manager.

The Gunners were given the respect of a guard of honour to mark their achievement as Premier League champions.

But from that point on, Palace were in game mode, backed by a feverish home support –the ‘we’re on our way’ chant reverberating around Selhurst, perhaps louder than it’s ever been heard before.

The Gunners had the first chance of the afternoon. Gabriel Jesus, often the scourge of Palace in previous meetings, got the better of Jefferson Lerma and had a run at goal.

His curling effort beat Dean Henderson, but came back off the post. Noni Madueke followed-up with a shot, but his England teammate – the Palace skipper – managed to keep it out.

The visitors’ Christian Nørgaard, making his first league start of the season, was next to try his luck, sending an effort wide of Henderson’s goal from just outside the box.

But the Palace ‘keeper was called upon in the 12th minute when Jesus ran clear of the Palace backline. He looked a certain scorer, only for the skipper to make himself big and pull off the save, with Nathaniel Clyne clearing up the loose ball.

Daniel Muñoz had the first real chance of the day for the Eagles, with a trademark diving header at the back post. Arsenal had called up Kepa in the absence of normal No. 1 David Raya, and the Spanish stopper had to get down low to tip the ball wide of his post.

Jesus had scored twice in the corresponding fixture last season and threatened again just before the mid-half water break – due to the searing heatwave conditions – with a header at the back post that could only find the side netting.

Whilst the game hit a lull, the atmosphere continued to deliver. One particularly rousing rendition of ‘stand up if you’re Palace’, was enough to provide goosebumps.

After failing to threaten for a while, the Gunners got the opening goal out of nowhere three minutes before the break. Jesus got a run on Nathaniel Clyne and managed to fire a low shot into the corner of the goal.

It was harsh on Palace, but the visitors showed why they are champions with ruthless finishing.

The second-half saw Glasner freshen up his XI, with Tyrick Mitchell, Adam Wharton and Yéremy Pino all introduced from the bench.

But it was Arsenal who got the all-important second goal. A corner reached the back post before it flicked towards Noni Madueke, who stabbed the ball into Henderson’s far corner.

Pino nearly provided an instant response. But the Spain international’s header from a Lerma cross went harmlessly past the post.

Strand Larsen was next to go mightily close, firing over a tight angle after clever movement in the Arsenal penalty area.

Ten minutes after the break came a nervy moment when Wharton went down after a rough challenge. Palace’s newest goalscorer initially carried on unscathed.

But six minutes later Glasner decided to withdraw Wharton, certainly not worth taking even a minor risk with Leipzig only days away. Evann Guessand replaced him for the final half hour.

Chadi Riad would have got Palace back in the game with a perfectly timed run, only to fail to make contact with a dangerous Will Hughes corner.

A nice moment arrived in the 75th minute when Ebere Eze came off the bench for Arsenal, replacing goalscorer Jesus. Fittingly, an awesome roar greeted his arrival, just one year and one week on from the day his goal won Palace the FA Cup.

With only a few minutes of normal time remaining, the home fans were given something to cheer about.

Substitute Jean-Philippe Mateta got his 50th Premier League goal nodding in Pino’s excellent cross.

Within seconds the Eagles thought they had produced an equaliser. Pino spun and shot following a deflection from his initial effort, leaving Kepa with no chance.

Sadly VAR intervened. The virtual officials ruled that the ball had touched Guessand, standing in an offside position, on the way through. In a frantic injury-time, Riad saw a header saved before Viktor Gyokeres fired just wide at the other end.

Henderson then saved an Eze shot in the final act of an entertaining game. Ultimately though, it was Arsenal who ended the season with three more points.

Palace finished the 2025/26 Premier League in 15th position with 45 points recorded.

Of course, the biggest game of our 2025/26 is yet to come, the 60th fixture of a historic campaign, on Wednesday night in Leipzig.

Palace: Henderson (GK), Riad, Lerma, Clyne, Muñoz (Mitchell, 46), Hughes, Kamada (Wharton, 46, Guessand, 62), Cardines, Devenny, Sarr (Pino, 46), Strand Larsen (Mateta, 77).

Subs: Benítez (GK), Lacroix, Canvot, Johnson.

Arsenal: Arrizabalaga (GK), Zubimendi, Mosquera, Hinapie, Calafiori (Gabriel, 46), Norgaard (Havertz, 46), Lewis-Skelly, Dowman (Merino, 62), Madueke (Gyokeres, 83), Martinelli, Jesus (Eze, 75).

Subs: Setford (GK), Rice, Odegaard, Saka.

As It Happened