Arsenal play up to Arsene Wenger's image as emotional Emirates Stadium farewell goes to plan

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James Olley6 May 2018

The house that Arsene Wenger built put animosity and apathy aside to give the Frenchman a rousing send-off on his final match at Emirates Stadium.

Unity has been in short supply around here of late yet everybody chipped in: the players thrashed Burnley 5-0, Gunners fans filled the stands to pay tribute to the club’s most iconic manager and the visitors even followed the script with one of their most inept defensive displays of an otherwise fine season.

This was the image of Arsenal that Wenger wants to project around the world – one he felt had been lost in the recent trials and tribulations – free-flowing, free-scoring football exuding finesse and class before a sell-out crowd coming together for a common cause.

Chairman Sir Chips Keswick was booed as the club began their post-match presentations – a consequence of his occasionally dismissive tone when fans have voiced their frustrations at Annual General Meetings – but it was the only note of malevolence all afternoon.

The day began with each fan was given a t-shirt emblazoned with ‘Merci Arsene – Arsenal vs Burnley, Sunday May 6, 2018, to commemorate the moment in time the club united behind a manager whose ongoing employment has divided the fanbase in recent seasons.

It was t-shirt weather, too – a balmy early May afternoon, the stadium covered in clear blue sky to ensure Wenger was spared one last wrestling match with his big duffel coat.

The backdrop to many home games here of late has been scores of empty seats but there were precious few in evidence here – the red t-shirts helped mask any spare red seats – and from the moment a guard of honour was formed by the two sets of players, Wenger took centre-stage.

His 606th and final competitive home game as Arsenal manager ended in a 415th victory (with 120 draws and 71 losses, for the record) and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s 14th-minute opener settled any nerves over losing sixth place, affording everyone to concentrate on the historical context rather than anything contemporaneous.

Arsenal fans went through their back catalogue of songs, starting, inevitably, with ‘There’s Only One Arsene Wenger’ before scrolling through ditties about Patrick Vieira, 49 matches undefeated, Santi Cazorla and Per Mertesacker, who received a rousing reception as he trotted out to warm-up on what was also his final home game. ‘Danke Per’, read one banner in the Clock End.

Wenger was cheered as he kicked the ball back into play and frequently responded to requests from pockets of home fans asking he wave in their direction; there was no sign of any residual frustration at the club’s Europa League semi-final exit to Atletico Madrid.

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Aubameyang’s goals and Konstantinos Mavropanos’ home debut were the green shoots of life after Wenger beginning to emerge.

Mavropanos earned warm applause for clattering Sam Vokes midway through the first half – embodying the combativeness Wenger’s successor must instil in this team. It was a challenge that prompted some fans located near the press box to turn in the direction of Martin Keown, covering the game for BBC radio, equating Mavropanos’ intervention with the desire Keown made a cornerstone of his career. “There’s only one Martin Keown,” they sang, in the hope Mavropanos could one day become another in Keown’s mould.

Every so often, the game interrupted with an Arsenal goal. Alexandre Lacazette turned home Hector Bellerin’s cross in first-half stoppage-time before Sead Kolasinac smashed in a third nine minutes after the restart before Burnley zoned out completely and allowed Alex Iwobi to share the freedom of north London with Wenger and rattle in a fourth.

Only Manchester City had scored at least four against this usually well-drilled Burnley defence but they were so complicit here, even the away fans offered a rendition of ‘There’s Only One Arsene Wenger’ midway through the second half.

Aubameyang then made it five, a lead sufficient for Wenger to hand Mertesacker his first appearance since 7 January for the final 13 minutes. His every touch was cheered – the roof would have come off had the 33-year-old’s sole foray forward in search of a goal ended in success but Burnley spoiled the moment with a brief reminder of the defending that put them just one place behind Arsenal.

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Sixth spot is now secure given the Gunners’ vastly superior goal difference, confirming Europa League football for another season.

It isn’t an achievement on which Wenger would like to bow out but as a snapshot in time, this was about as special as it could have been.

There was a reminder of his finest hour, in the form of a golden trophy awarded to the 68-year-old by Bob Wilson and former No2 Pat Rice in recognition of the club’s unbeaten ‘Invincibles’ season of 2003-04.

Wenger closed his subsequent speech to the supporters by declaring: “I’ll miss you.” There was plenty of evidence here that, whatever the problems of the past and the change many have craved for, the fans will miss him too.

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