Arsenal reveal ‘real’ attendance figure after 6-0 BATE Borisov rout
Matchday programmes on sale outside the stadium ahead of the UEFA Europa League, Group H match at the Emirates Stadium, London. - Credit: PA Wire/PA Images
Arsenal may have routed BATE Borisov 6-0 in the Europa League at the Emirates on Thursday – but the real talking point were the large swaths of empty seats in the ground.
Arsenal team group. Top Row (left to right) Calum Chambers, Rob Holding, David Ospina, Mohamed Elneny, Olivier Giroud and Danny Welbeck. Bottom Row (left to right) Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Francis Coquelin, Theo Walcott, Jack Wilshere and Mathieu Debuchy during the UEFA Europa League, Group H match at the Emirates Stadium, London. - Credit: PA Wire/PA Images
Despite Arsenal announcing the attendance in terms of tickets sold as 54,648 an official has confirmed the true number of fans that passed through the turnstiles.
Supporters on social media speculated on the figure but the Islington Gazette can confirm a club source revealed the amount to be ‘just under 30,000’.
Gunners boss Arsene Wenger, speaking after the match in reference to the empty seats said: “In the Champions League there were grounds that were empty.”
First half goals from Mathieu Debuchy, Theo Walcott and Jack Wilshere put the Gunners 3-0 up at the break before Walcott squared for Evgeni Berezkin to slot past his own keeper to make it 4-0.
An Arsenal fan outside the stadium ahead of the UEFA Europa League, Group H match at the Emirates Stadium, London. - Credit: PA Wire/PA Images
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Olivier Giroud then made it 5-0 after being made to re-take his penalty before Mohamed Elneny made it 6-0.
The draw for the knock-out stages will be made on Monday with the first leg set to take place on Thursday, February 15.
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Arsenal resume Premier League action at the weekend when they travel to Southampton on Sunday.
