Thousands of Arsenal supporters marched on the Emirates Stadium ahead of the Premier League fixture against Everton to protest against the club’s owners.
The relationship between fans and owner Stan Kroenke, which has been tumultuous in recent years, was worsened further still when the Gunners announced on Sunday they had signed up as one of the founding members of a breakaway European Super League.
The ill-will towards the new competition was so fierce that, just two days later, Arsenal – as well as fellow Premier League sides Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham – all withdrew from the plans.
Some supporters were overhead planning to block the team buses arriving but the PA news agency understands the Arsenal players arrived earlier than normal, with the Everton squad arriving via a bridge on the opposite side of the stadium.
The protests continued as the teams were announced inside the ground, with manager Mikel Arteta insisting on the eve of the game he would prevent his players being distracted by an historic week.
