The Gunners’ title confirmation hinged on a slip-up from relentless rivals Manchester City, who traveled to the Vitality Stadium. In a dramatic twist, Bournemouth handed Arsenal the ultimate favor, grinding out a gritty 1-1 draw against Pep Guardiola’s men to mathematically end City’s charge.

The 27-year-old took to social media to share the euphoria with the Arsenal faithful, posting a picture from the dressing room alongside teammates Kai Havertz, Eberechi Eze, Myles Lewis-Skelly, William Saliba, and Bukayo Saka. He captioned the post with a triumphant message to the doubters: “I told you all.. it’s done”.

Arsenal will now walk out at the Emirates Stadium for the final matchday of the season against Crystal Palace as official Premier League Champions, where they will finally lift the coveted trophy in front of a bouncing home crowd.

Arsenal going for historic Champions League title

Arsenal have enjoyed a wildly successful Premier League campaign. With just one match remaining, they boast a record of 25 victories, seven draws, and a mere five defeats. Furthermore, they rank as the league’s second-highest scoring team with 69 goals, while anchoring the division’s best defense, having conceded just 26 goals.

However, the Gunners’ success extends far beyond England. Mikel Arteta’s side is making waves across Europe and now stands on the precipice of a historic achievement, with the chance to lift its first-ever Champions League title when it face Paris Saint-Germain on Saturday, May 30, at the Puskas Arena.

On their road to the final, Arsenal displayed the same defensive resilience and tactical steel that defined their Premier League title charge, reaching the showcase event completely unbeaten.

Mikel Arteta’s side cruised through the league phase with eight victories, before navigating the knockout rounds with three wins and three draws to book their ticket to Budapest.

After an investigation was launched in response to a complaint filed by Middlesbrough, Southampton admitted to breaches against Oxford United in December 2025, Ipswich Town in April 2026, and Middlesbrough in May 2026, according to an official statement released by the English Football League.

Specifically, Southampton violated two key regulations within the EFL Championship framework. The club was charged with breaking EFL Regulation 3.4, which demands that clubs behave toward one another with the utmost good faith, and Regulation 127, which strictly prohibits any club from viewing, or attempting to view, another club’s training session within 72 hours of a scheduled match between the two sides.

Furthermore, the EFL announced that Southampton retains the right to appeal the decision made by the Independent Disciplinary Committee, noting that the club is actively working to resolve any appeal by Wednesday, May 20. In light of this, the governing body indicated that scheduling adjustments could be made for the final on Saturday, May 24, depending on the outcome.

Who’s replacing Southampton?

Following the confirmation of Southampton’s expulsion from the EFL Championship playoffs, Middlesbrough will step in to replace the Saints. They will now face Hull City for a place in the Premier League on Saturday, May 24, at Wembley Stadium.

Middlesbrough’s selection as the replacement stems from the fact that they were the team defeated by Southampton in the playoff semifinals, suffering a narrow 1-0 loss on aggregate.

What other charges will Southampton face?

On top of being barred from competing in the EFL Championship playoff final—missing out on a guaranteed minimum revenue of £110 million from Premier League broadcasting rights—Southampton have also been hit with a four-point deduction, which will be applied at the start of next season.

According to a report from Saudi outlet Al-Riyadiyah, Brozovic underwent an additional treatment session on Tuesday, but his chances of featuring in the season finale have significantly diminished.

The Croatian midfielder was notably absent from Al Nassr’s recent 1-0 defeat to Gamba Osaka in the AFC Champions League Two final, after picking up a muscle injury during the dramatic 1-1 draw against Al Hilal in the Saudi Pro League.

However, it is not all bad news for Cristiano Ronaldo. Reports suggest that Kingsley Coman has fully recovered ahead of the crucial SPL showdown. After coming off the bench against Gamba Osaka, the French forward is expected to return to the starting lineup for Thursday’s match against Damac.

Optimism surrounding other players

Brozovic’s injury brings plenty of anxiety to the Al Nassr camp, given that their entire season rests on this final fixture against Damac. Amidst this setback, the club did receive some positive updates regarding other players who were previously considered doubts due to various fitness concerns.

In addition to Coman, the report notes that Angelo Gabriel, Abdulelah Al-Amri, and Abdullah Al-Khaibari will undergo a specialized treatment session before training. This is intended to ensure they are completely pain-free before being cleared for selection in Thursday’s season finale.

A massive loss for Cristiano

Losing Brozovic is undoubtedly a heavy blow to Al Nassr’s midfield, where he provides crucial defensive stability and dictates the tempo of the play. It is equally a major setback for Cristiano Ronaldo, as the two boast impressive numbers when sharing the pitch.

Out of the 105 matches the duo have played together, Al Nassr have emerged victorious in 75, drawing 11 and losing just 19. Furthermore, Cristiano has found the back of the net five times courtesy of a Brozovic assist, while the Croatian playmaker has scored twice from Ronaldo’s setups.