When would Arsenal lift the Premier League trophy if they clinch the title today?
Manchester City visit Bournemouth today, knowing that a draw or a loss would confirm Arsenal as Premier League champions.
When Manchester City visit Bournemouth today, Arsenal could be crowned champions of England for the 14th time - ending a more than 20-year wait for the league title.
And if the Gunners do clinch the championship tonight, precedent suggests that Mikel Arteta’s team would be presented with the trophy at Selhurst Park, the home of Crystal Palace, after their final game of the season next weekend.
What do Arsenal need to win the EPL today?
Arsenal will be confirmed as Premier League winners if City, their rivals for the 2025/26 title, fail to beat Bournemouth at Vitaly Stadium. With only one further round of games to play after today, a City slip-up against the Cherries would leave Arsenal more than three points clear at the summit, with an unassailable lead.
After beating Burnley 1-0 on matchday 37 on Monday, Arsenal currently have a five-point advantage over City.
This would be Arsenal’s first English league crown since 2003/04, when a team coached by Arsène Wenger not only topped the Premier League table - but did so without losing a game. It remains the only unbeaten season in Premier League history.
What happens if City win today?
If Manchester City beat Bournemouth today, this season’s Premier League championship will be decided on matchday 38 on Sunday, when City host Aston Villa at the same time as Arsenal visit Palace. The North Londoners would take a two-point lead into the final weekend, knowing victory at Selhurst Park would guarantee the title.
The EPL’s trophy presentation schedule
If City do hand Arsenal the title today, it appears that the Gunners would pick up the Premier League trophy immediately after this weekend’s road game against Palace. At the time of writing, though, the information provided by the league was not completely clear.
According to rules set out on the league’s website, the Premier League trophy is typically presented to that season’s championship-winning team after their final home game of the campaign. That’s not possible for Arsenal, however, as they completed their home league schedule for 2025/26 in Monday’s win over Burnley.
And the only other trophy-lift scenario in the league’s explainer refers to what happens if City keep the Premier League race alive heading into the closing weekend. “In the event that more than one team can claim the title on the final day,” the league says, “plans are made for separate presentations of the Trophy and medals at the stadiums where the teams can become champions.”
There is no mention of what happens if a team clinches the Premier League title in between their final home game and their final away game. This may be because it is an uncommon eventuality: the last time it happened in the English top flight was in 2002/03, when results elsewhere confirmed Manchester United as champions as the Red Devils prepared to conclude their season away to Everton.
On that occasion, United were handed the Premier League trophy at Goodison Park, following a 2-1 matchday-38 win over the Toffees.
What to know about the Premier League trophy
Standing 3ft 5in tall and 2ft wide, the Premier League trophy is made of solid sterling silver, topped off by a silver-gilt gold crown. The trophy’s design, which includes lions on both of its handles, follows the theme “The Three Lions of English Football”, the Premier League says.
“When the captain of the title-winning team raises the trophy, and its gold crown, above his head at the end of the season, he becomes the third lion," the league explains.
In addition to the Premie League trophy, the English title winners are presented with a total of 40 medals, which are made of silver and measure 2.25 inches in diameter.
Per the Premier League, these medals are to be handed out to “the manager, players and officials, as the club see fit”. Every player who has made at least five league appearances during the season must receive one.
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