Hupu reported on May 12 that former England striker Alan Shearer predicted in the "The Rest Is Football" podcast that Crystal Palace is very likely to rotate a large number of main players when they face Arsenal in the final game of the league. The reason is that three days later they will usher in the first UEFA Europa League final in the club's history. Shearer feels that this makes Arsenal's prospects of winning the Premier League extremely favorable.
After Arsenal defeated West Ham United 1-0 in the away game, they will expand their lead in the standings to 5 points. Manchester City has one game less and is closely behind with a goal difference disadvantage. The team led by Pep will face Crystal Palace at home in midweek. If they can win, they can narrow the point difference to 2 points again. In terms of schedule comparison, Arsenal will first face relegated Burnley at home in the penultimate round, and the final game will be against Crystal Palace away from home; Manchester City will need to challenge Bournemouth away from home, and the final round will be against Aston Villa at home.
Shearer said during the analysis in the podcast, "They should be full of confidence. Burnley is at home and Crystal Palace is away from home. Crystal Palace will definitely throw out a lineup of substitutes – this is its right to have it, and there is no disrespect at all. Treat no one. This is their own club, they have their own goals to protect, and they have their own trophies to win. They are fully qualified to arrange the lineup according to their own wishes. So Arsenal should definitely be confident at the moment, isn't it?"
In this regard, former England defender Micah Richards, who has always supported Manchester City, issued a reminder. He said that the situation presented on paper is one thing, but the reality is not necessarily such a situation. Just take a look at the game between Manchester City and QPR. At that time, everyone thought it would go very easily, but in the end, they almost failed in a seemingly simple situation. Crystal Palace may arrange a substitute lineup to play, but those substitute players are just at the moment when they want to prove their abilities. Sometimes games like this when facing a substitute lineup are the most difficult to play well.
Arsenal is still chasing the Premier League and Champions League at the same time. At the end of the month, they will face the defending champion Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final. After a hard-fought victory over West Ham United, Arteta praised the entire team's courage, determination and commitment throughout the season, and mentioned that the support of the fans was incredible and expressed his gratitude to everyone present.
