Arsenal enjoyed a comeback victory over Cologne in the Europa League, but the post-match buzz did not surround the result of their Emirates Stadium clash. Trouble with the fans dominated the headlines, as the north London outfit struggled to maintain order.
The Gunners could now be in trouble with UEFA over the hooliganism that was witnessed on Thursday. Wenger’s side could be fined by European football’s governing body and face an investigation after away supporters clashed with stewards.
Trouble began due to an excessive number of Cologne fans in London. Only 3,000 tickets were allocated to the Bundesliga side, but 20,000 fans are believed to have made the trip to England’s capital.
Arsenal tried to avoid chaos, but the aforementioned number of away supporters broke through the gates to enter the stadium. The police locked down the arena as a result, causing a huge delay in the admission of ticket-holding fans.
Cologne fans thus got access to the section reserved for the home fans, but the FA Cup holders went ahead with the match nonetheless. 110 policemen – some with dogs – were present during the chaotic game.
UEFA now await a report from the hosts, but Arsenal insist they did the right thing by going ahead with the match. Kick-off was delayed for an entire hour in order to regain control after the break-in, but the game was not postponed or cancelled.
Alexis Sanchez and Co. earned all three points despite the crowd trouble. The Chilean ace scored a brilliant goal, joining Kolasinac and Bellerin on the score sheet en route to victory.
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