Arsenal May 2026 Fixtures: Can the Gunners End Their 22-Year Wait?

Arsenal’s May Schedule: The Run-In to Decide the Premier League Title

Twenty-two years. That’s the wait. Four games. That’s all that stands in the way now.

Saturday’s 1-0 home win over Newcastle United put Arsenal back on top of the table. Eberechi Eze hammered a short-corner routine into the top corner in the ninth minute, and then it was a case of clinging on for a long, jittery hour. Three points clear of Manchester City. Nobody else is still in this.

Three of those four games are at the Emirates. Opponents? A mid-table side, a club already relegated, an outfit scrapping for survival, and a Selhurst Park team eyeing Europe. Looks tame, doesn’t it? The catch is, it never is. The Premier League title race has gone the distance, the lines on punter sites like gg bet keep flipping.

Then there’s Saka, coming on late against Newcastle and immediately making an impact. His first touch almost led to a goal, a deflected effort flashing just wide. The Emirates suddenly lifted after a flat afternoon. The numbers underline it all: Arsenal average 2.36 points per game when he starts, and just 1.64 without him. The difference is clear: Saka changes the game, even in a few minutes. 

Here are May games:

Date	Opponent	Venue	Kick-off (BST)
Sat 2 May	Fulham (H)	Emirates Stadium	17:30
Sun 10 May	West Ham (A)	London Stadium	16:30
Sun 17 May	Burnley (H)	Emirates Stadium	15:00
Sun 24 May	Crystal Palace (A)	Selhurst Park	16:00

Early May: Home Derby at the Emirates

Arsenal vs. Fulham (May 2): The First Step Toward the Title

Marco Silva’s Fulham have been a slippery customer at the Emirates. They sit mid-table, comfortable enough to play with freedom, dangerous enough to spoil a party. The Arsenal vs Fulham clash kicks off at 17:30 BST – moved from the original 3pm slot for Sky Sports – and follows the Champions League semi-final first leg in Madrid four days earlier. Rotation will weigh on Arteta’s mind.

The Gunners cannot afford a slip. City travel to Everton 48 hours later, so a win opens up a six-point gap before Guardiola’s lot kick another ball. A draw hands him a lifeline. Eze has scored more goals from outside the box than any player in the competition since the start of 2022/23, and the team’s 17 corner goals this season is already a competition record. Set-pieces could decide this one.

Mid-Month Intensity: Away Challenge and Home Finale

West Ham vs. Arsenal (May 10): A Crucial Trip to East London

The London Stadium has rarely been a happy hunting ground. Nuno Espírito Santo’s Hammers sit 17th and are fighting tooth and nail for top-flight survival – Callum Wilson’s stoppage-time winner against Everton on April 26 only just kept them above the drop zone. Some say East London is where title dreams die. That feels dramatic – but only a bit, and a desperate side scrapping for points is rarely an easy day out.

A West Ham vs Arsenal game in May has banana skin written all over it. Both clubs have everything to lose. Jarrod Bowen leads the Hammers’ attack. Tomáš Souček is a constant set-piece threat. Then there is Arsenal’s own headache. Havertz and Eze picked up muscular niggles against Newcastle. Arteta has decisions to make up top. The Gunners should win this. They might not.

Supporter sentiment shifts week to week. Many fans now treat football and online bookmaker reviews on places like Trustpilot the way pundits used to treat newspaper columns – a barometer for everything from kit launches to coaching calls.

Arsenal vs. Burnley (May 17): The Final Home Stand

The third home outing of May carries sentimental weight. This is the final 90 minutes the Emirates crowd gets all season. Burnley, though, have already been relegated. Scott Parker’s side had their fate sealed on April 22. A 1-0 home defeat to Manchester City did it – Haaland scored inside five minutes. One season up, straight back to the Championship. Anyone planning to watch Arsenal vs Burnley live should brace for a peculiar atmosphere. Visitors with nothing left to lose. Hosts with everything still on the line.

Goal difference could decide the league. A 4-0 matters more than a 1-0 here. Start clinically, not nervously. The Emirates atmosphere, occasionally criticised for tension during this campaign, must rise to the moment.

The Grand Finale of the 2025/26 Season

Crystal Palace vs. Arsenal (May 24): Title Decider at Selhurst Park

If the title is still alive on May 24 – and it almost certainly will be – this fixture becomes the heartbeat of the season. Selhurst Park is loud and awkward. Oliver Glasner, who is leaving the club at the end of the campaign, has produced two excellent springs in a row in south London and will not want a quiet send-off. Eze, naturally, returns to his former side. Football could not write a better sub-plot.

Whoever holds top spot dictates the pressure here. If Mikel Arteta’s men need a win on the final day, expect drama. If they need only a draw, expect drama anyway, because that is how this season has gone. Speaking after the Newcastle win, Arteta told Sky Sports:

“We can talk all day, but we need to go on that pitch and we need to get the job done.”

Bear in mind, Crystal Palace vs Arsenal ties have been tight in recent meetings. Less talking, more doing.

Final Verdict: Will May Be Historic?

Key Players: Saka and Ødegaard’s Form in the Home Stretch

Saka’s return is the headline of the run-in. Among English players in Europe’s top five leagues, no one has created more chances from open play this season – he’s joint top with 44, as reported by Yahoo Sports. When Saka starts, the attack flows. Without him, it sputters.

Martin Ødegaard has battled his own fitness issues this season. The captain has played fewer minutes than supporters would like, but his vision becomes essential when pressure peaks. Players to watch through May:

• Bukayo Saka – crossing and chance creation feed the entire frontline
• Martin Ødegaard – the captain dictates tempo from midfield
• Declan Rice – arguably the season’s most consistent performer
• Eberechi Eze – set-piece magic and cool finishing in tight spaces

The latest Arsenal transfer news suggests sporting director Andrea Berta is already lining up summer reinforcements. Nicolo Tresoldi from Club Brugge and Anthony Gordon are among the names linked. None of that, however, will be allowed to distract from May. As experts recently noted, this title bout looks set to go all the way to the final whistle, possibly down to goal difference.

Our Prediction: How Many Points Will Arsenal Secure in May?

Honestly? Ten of twelve feels realistic. A draw somewhere along the way – possibly West Ham away, given the Hammers’ relegation desperation – seems likely. Three wins and a draw should be enough, though City’s run-in is similarly soft.

Three reasons for optimism:

• The Emirates has been a fortress for most of the season
• Saka’s return restores the attacking ceiling
• Three of four games come at home

Three reasons for nervousness:

• Recent form has been wobbly – three league losses in five before Newcastle
• Havertz and Eze injury question marks remain unresolved
• The Champions League semi-final adds physical and emotional load on tired legs

Verdict: ten points, title lifted at Selhurst Park, scrappy fashion. Maybe on the final whistle. Honestly, the only fitting way to end a 22-year wait. Fixtures set. Chasers circling. Trophy one good month away.

FAQs

When does Arsenal play Fulham in May 2026?

Saturday 2 May, 17:30 BST at the Emirates.

What do Arsenal need to win the league?

Around ten points from the four May games – though it depends on what City do, since they have a fixture more to play. Goal difference could end up being the kicker if both finish level.

Has Saka recovered from his Achilles injury?

Looks that way. He came off the bench against Newcastle on 25 April after a month out and looked sharp. Should start regularly from now on.