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Alexandre Lacazette slid down on his knees towards the fans to celebrate in style.
It’s been so long that you almost forget what a real crowd sounded like, and it was just wonderful.
There were 2,000 lucky fans inside the Emirates but they made so much noise that it rang like ten times as much.
They sang with all their hearts for 90 minutes, it was a special night for them but you could also see how much the players missed them.
At the final whistle, Mikel Arteta and his players approached the two stands where they were sitting and applauded them as if they were the true heroes of the night.
Not make mistakes. Lacazette wasn’t the only one with an extra jump in his stride, as he lifted a team that has been playing without confidence or faith.
(Image: REUTERS)
You could see that he made a huge difference and should serve as a reminder that football will never take fans for granted again.
It can keep the noise from the artificial crowd.
There’s nothing quite like the real thing, true fans creating an atmosphere in a Premier League stadium for the first time in nine months.
The masks, staggered entry, health forms, and temperature checks made it worth it in one night to give us hope that one day stadiums across the country could be full again.
(Image: Getty Images)
(Image: Offside via Getty Images)
There are so many jokes about the quiet Emirates, the empty seats and the Arsenal fans, but this group made the occasion and the club’s mascot, Gunnersaurus, was there too.
It was too easy for Arsenal against second-rate rivals, but this was a reminder that fans can lift teams, change the mood and, for Arteta, it was a night to savor a disastrous November.
The first goal came after ten minutes when Lacazette picked up a fumble in midfield, advanced, and then fired a shot from at least 25 yards.
He sank, swerved and completely fooled Rapid Vienna goalkeeper Richard Strebinger when Lacazette’s shot hit the net.
That was his first goal since September and his 20th in 43 Europa League games.
That just goes to show what a little encouragement can do for a player who has been desperately out of shape.
(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Arsenal scored a second goal in the 17th minute when Reiss Nelson took a corner kick and defender Pablo Mari was in shape again to look home at the near post.
Lacazette hit the post in the 27th minute and then Eddie Nketiah had a third in the 44th minute as he headed home after Strebinger saved his first shot.
Rapid Vienna slashed one in the 47th minute through Kohya Kitagaw, but Arsenal replacement Emile Smith-Rowe regained the three-goal lead shortly after entering.
And there was a good moment when Calum Chambers, back in shape, had an enthusiastic reception from fans on his return to the first team after a long-term knee injury.
Player Ratings
Arsenal (4-2-3-1): Runarsson 5; Cedric 6, Mustafi 6 (Chambers, 70), Pablo Mari 7, Kolasinac 7; Maitland-Niles 7, Elneny 7 (Ceballos, 63, 6); Pepe 7, Lacazette 8 (Smith-Rowe, 63, 6), Nelson 7 (Willian, 63, 6); Nketiah 7 (Balogun, 81).
Fast Vienna (3-5-2): Strebinger 6; Sonnleitner 5, Hofmann 5 (Barac, 46, 6), Greiml; 5 Arase 6, Demir 6, Schuster 6, Ritzmaier 5 (Knasmüllner, 66, 6), Ullmann 5 (Schick, 46, 6); Kitagawa 6 (Kara, 66, 6), Alar 6.
Man of the match: Lacazette
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