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Arsenal fans returned to the Emirates Stadium on Thursday night and watched their team progress to a Europa League victory over Rapid Vienna.
With qualification to the knockout stages secured, a comfortable 4-1 win inspired by an excellent first match by Alexandre Lacazette means the Gunners top Group B.
But the result played a minor role in fans’ return to top-notch soccer, as 2,000 viewers were spaced – the first fans to see a game here in nine months.
Lacazette opened the scoring with a long-range shot before Pablo Mari, returning to the team for the first time since sustaining an ankle injury in June, headed in a second, with academy graduates Eddie Nketiah and Emile Smith Rowe adding. the glow on both sides of Kohya Kitagawa’s Comfort.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta changed his entire starting eleven since the weekend’s loss to Wolves, but they proved too strong for the visitors.
This was the first time fans were able to see a Premier League team in action since the first coronavirus lockdown was stopped last season in March.
Spectators returned to the lower league venues a day earlier, but this was a great moment for Arsenal and their fan base.
A first-come, first-served ticketing system caused the website to crash Saturday morning, but 2,000 lucky people were able to rejoice at the return.
A kit clash meant that Arsenal couldn’t play in their traditional red, so their blue away kit was used to welcome home the select group.
Lacazette’s 30-yard shot got the ball rolling after just 10 minutes and Mari’s first goal at Arsenal doubled the lead.
By the time Nketiah nodded a third, there was a party atmosphere as fans began to review his repertoire of songs.
Vienna briefly threatened an unexpected return when Kitagawa returned home after two brave blocks of Sead Kolasinac initially held off visitors.
The three-goal cushion was restored when Smith Rowe swept to end a good, flowing play just three minutes after replacing Lacazette.
Arteta used the final 20 minutes to welcome Calum Chambers to the first team fold, as the defender had been sidelined with a serious knee injury nearly a year earlier.
Dani Ceballos was close to adding a fifth with a good free kick. while his fellow substitute Willian dragged a blow from a distance.
The result was already in the bag at the time, but no fans were heading home early as they got up to applaud the Arsenal players off the field, Arteta also crossed the field to reciprocate.
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