I think Sunday afternoon was, by some distance, my favourite home game since Arsenal moved to Emirates Stadium. Perhaps ‘favourite game’ isn’t the right phraseology, ‘favourite occasion’ seems more apposite. There was an unashamed air of celebration, of nostalgia and of gratitude. It was as close as the Emirates has ever come to a carnival atmosphere. The mood of joie de vivre provided a stark contrast to the more typical mood music of recent seasons as Arsenal’s decline gathered pace. Since the New Year, banks and banks of empty seats have grown ever more visible, as apathy gnawed away at the fanbase. Those hardy souls that did turn up, seemed to do so out of a sense of...
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