Mikel Arteta said his wholesale changes for Arsenal’s final game of the Premier League season is a reward to the members of his squad who played their part in their title-winning campaign.
Arsenal will lift the Premier League trophy against Crystal Palace after Manchester City’s draw at Bournemouth on Tuesday confirmed their first title since 2004.
The Gunners also have a Champions League final to prepare for and they will play holders Paris Saint-Germain in Budapest on Saturday in their bid to win a first European crown.
David Raya, William Saliba and Leandro Trossard are notable absentees from the matchday squad at Palace, with a host of star players named on the bench.
Gabriel Magalhaes, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Eberechi Eze, Declan Rice, Kai Havertz and Viktor Gyokeres are joined by the returning Mikel Merino.
Meanwhile, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Christian Norgaard and Max Dowman make their first Premier League starts for Arsenal on the final day of the campaign.
It is a landmark moment for the 16-year-old Dowman, who provided one of the moments of the season with his goal against Everton during Arsenal’s title charge. The teenager also spent this week sitting his GCSEs.
“We had a big talk at the start of the season about each individual roles and how this is going to change and how we're going to have to adapt and and be humble and be ready to to help and impact the team and I think we've been incredible at doing that,” Arteta told Sky Sports.
“Max, he needs to be there because he created a moment during this season that something changed as well and the people has contributed, I think deserves to be on that pitch. We had a little battle trying to get that team right in formation shape.”
Arsenal XI: Kepa, Mosquera, Norgaard, Hincapie, Calafiori, Lewis-Skelly, Zubimendi, Dowman, Madueke, Jesus, Martinelli.
Subs: Setford, Gabriel, Saka, Odegaard, Eze, Gyokeres, Merino, Havertz, Rice
