Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said fans made a huge contribution to their victory over Rapid Vienna as the Emirates Stadium welcomed supporters into the stands for the first time in nine months.
Arsenal defeated Rapid Vienna 4-1 in the Europa League clash in the presence of 2,000 fans. Earlier, the matches were being played behind closed doors due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
"[It was] very special and I am delighted to have them back. I think they made a huge contribution," the club's official website quoted Arteta as saying.
The manager also said that they had 2,000 fans "but it looked like many more" as he thanked them for being "very encouraging". "We had 2,000 but it looked like many more. They were very supportive of the team, very encouraging and the lads were saying it makes a huge difference to feel that support and energy. Thank you so much to them for coming and supporting the team," he said.
"It made a huge difference, honestly, even if it was only 2,000. Those 2,000 were really positive towards the team and that energy in some really difficult moments is even more appreciated. I appreciate the supporters a lot," Arteta added.
The victory means that Arsenal now have won all their five Europa League matches that they have played so far in the season. The club will now take on Tottenham in the Premier League on Sunday.
( With inputs from ANI )
Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor