Arsenal fans have raised £35,000 in the past five days for charities in Islington by boycotting the pay-per-view clash at the Emirates with Leicester City.

Donations were given by 2,300 Arsenal supporters to the charity Islington Giving instead of paying £14.95 for the pay-per-view match between Arsenal and Leicester broadcast on Sunday night.

Rather than being shown as part of Sky Sports and BT’s usual packages, it was shown on Box Office, sparking anger among fans.

Akhil Vyas, board member of the Arsenal Supporters Trust, which came up with the donation idea, said: “Our campaign was designed to give supporters an alternative to paying an exorbitant pay-per-view charge. Their generosity shows how much Arsenal fans care about the community in which their club is based.”

Sarah Benioff, the director of Islington Giving - which funds local projects to help people going through tough times - is “overwhelmed by their generosity”.

“Thanks to the incredible outpouring of donations, we can now fund even more projects helping people through this tough year,” she said.

“The money will go to organisations like the MildMay Community Partnership, who provided food and essentials to local people throughout the Covid-19 crisis, or Sports and Life Skills, who help local families stay active. Every penny will be well spent.”