Europa League

ARSENAL fans returned to the Emirates for the first time since March for Thursday’s Europa League win over Rapid Vienna.
The London side welcomed back 2,000 supporters who managed to secure tickets thanks to a ‘first come, first served’ system after the national lockdown was lifted on Wednesday.

Arsenal fans returned to the Emirates for the first time since March on ThursdayCredit: AFP or licensors

2,000 supporters were allowed in for the Europa League clash against Rapid ViennaCredit: Reuters

Supporters were in fine spirits as they got to watch their team live in actionCredit: Reuters

And one cheeky fan even managed to sneak in a sign reading ‘Bring Back Mesut Ozil’ in reference to Arsenal’s misfit German playmaker.
Ozil has not played once this term after being axed from both Mikel Arteta’s Europa and Premier League squads.
And supporters have been vocal on social media urging Arteta to bring Ozil in from the cold this winter.
But for the lucky handful present at the 60,0000-seat venue this evening, there were strict measures in place to ensure coronavirus protocols were met.

Fans had their temperatures checked outside the Emirates upon arrival.
And everyone was required to wear a face mask for the duration of the evening.
Recycled plastic bags were also put on seats to make sure social distancing measures were respected, with fans also encouraged not to make contact if celebrating a goal.
Hand sanitisers and signs urging people to keep a safe distance apart were also present.

Lucky supporters got tickets on a ‘first come, first served’ basisCredit: Getty Images – Getty

One cheeky fan sneaked in a sign urging Mikel Arteta to bring back Mesut OzilCredit: BT Sport

SunSport’s Stevie Robinson was in the stands

And stewards applauded fans as they walked through the turnstiles to cheer on their side.
There was even a return for popular mascot Gunnersaurus, who will be played by various staff members following Jerry Quy’s controversial redundancy in October.
Boss Arteta revealed before kick-off that he was delighted to welcome supporters back to the Emirates.
He said: “It is going to be extraordinary to have them back.
“The club has done amazing work to facilitate everybody at short notice to be able to attend the stadium and I am sure it will work really well.

Strict checks were in place for those arriving at the stadium

Fans had their temperatures taken by stewards, with everyone wearing face masksCredit: Getty Images – Getty

Mascot Gunnersaurus made his return to the touchlineCredit: Getty Images – Getty
“I am feeling sorry as well for thousands of fans that I am sure would like to make it, but can’t be there.
“We are ready to host as many as we possibly can. It is going to depend on how the pandemic develops and the new measurements when we start to open things up a bit and see how people react to that. 
“Hopefully we can do that. Who knows how it’s going to develop? What we can do as a club, we will do to our maximum obviously.”
Captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang added: “Football is all about you: the fans. We’ve missed you and we are so happy to start welcoming you back.
“To the 2,000 fans at the Emirates tonight, and the millions around the world, thank you so much for your support. Most of us are still apart, but we’re still together.”
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Social distancing was in place with only some seats availableCredit: Reuters

Stewards applauded fans as they went through the turnstilesCredit: Getty Images – Getty

The 60,000-seat arena will be hoping to welcome back even more supporters in the near futureCredit: PA:Press Association

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ARSENAL waited nine months desperate to get the fans back – and within five minutes they were embarrassed by one staging a protest about the treatment of Mesut Ozil.
World Cup winner Ozil, 32, has been frozen out by the Gunners this season despite collecting £350,000 a week for doing nothing.

One Arsenal fan brought a ‘Bring Back Mesut’ sign into the Emirates for the Europa League clashCredit: BT Sport

The punter – one of 2,000 inside the stadium – managed to get himself on TV with his bannerCredit: BT Sport

But the German’s exile has been criticised by some sections of the supporters who believe the team is weaker without him – especially after their dismal start to the season.
And just five minutes into the the game against Rapid Vienna with 2,000 fans allowed in, one of them was pictured holding up a banner demanding Ozil was brought back in from the cold.
Stewards at the Emirates have been active in recent seasons preventing fans waving banners criticising the Kroenke family which owns the club.
But they failed to spot the lone punter from making his point as he demanded ‘Bring Back Mesut’ for all to see.

The return of supporters also meant the return of classic banter in the stands as the Gunners faithful ironically sang ‘your support is f***ing s***’ to the empty away end.
The fans were not the only ones back on show.
So was popular Arsenal mascot Gunnersauras.
He was made redundant in cost-cutting measures by the club but was ironically saved when Ozil – out of contract next summer – offered to pay his wages.

But the ex-Real Madrid man’s act of generosity was not enough to convince boss Mikel Arteta to include him in either the Premier League or Europa League squads.
The 2,000 Arsenal fans fortunate enough to land a ticket for the game did not have too long to wait before getting off their social distanced seats.
Just ten minutes were on the clock when Alexandre Lacazette, wearing the captain’s armband, fired in emphatically from distance.
Pablo Mari headed in a second eight minutes later and Eddie Nketiah headed in before half-time as the Gunners put on a show for their returning fans.
But even then, one won’t be happy until he sees Ozil back in a Gunners shirt for the first time since March 7.
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Mesut Ozil has not played for Arsenal since March 7 but continues to be paid £350,000 per weekCredit: Getty Images – Getty

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AC MILAN recovered from TWO goals down to pick up a 4-2 victory over Celtic at the San Siro.
Neil Lennon’s men – who were under pressure following their shock Betfred Cup exit against Ross County – started the game excellently and found themselves two goals to the good inside the opening 15 minutes after strikes from Tom Rogic and Odsonne Edouard.

AC Milan fought back from two goals down to beat CelticCredit: AP:Associated Press

But the hosts hit back with a quick-fire first-half double from Hakan Calhanoglu and Samuel Castillejo before Jens Petter Hauge and Brahim Diaz completed the turnaround for the Italian giants.
The result leaves the Scottish champions rooted to the bottom of the group on just one point from their five European outings this campaign.

Barkas is nowhere near free-kick is Milan score their first of game Credit: Reuters
The Hoops started off on the front foot in Milan and grabbed the opening goal of the game after just nine minutes.
Poor play from the hosts at the back allowed Tom Rogic to nip in before he superbly found the corner of Gianluigi Donnarumma’s net.

Incredibly, five minutes later it was two.
This time it was Odsonne Edouard with a superb finish as he lifted the ball over Donnarumma after picking up a reverse pass from Ryan Christie.
AC Milan were out of rhythm in the first 20 minutes as Celtic continued to press but they were presented with their first real chance of the game when Christie put in a rash challenge around 25-yards from goal.

Odsonne Edouard! Such a clever finish from the Frenchman! ✨Celtic couldn’t have asked for a better start against AC Milan! 🍀 pic.twitter.com/TyTAjXaEAK
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) December 3, 2020

Calhanoglu stepped up and fired the resulting free-kick into the net on Vasilis Barkas’ side of the goal.

The Greek keeper had already made the step to the right as he watched the ball nestle in the corner.

Edoaurd superbly lobs Donnarumma in the Milan goal for Celtic’s secondCredit: AFP or licensors
Celtic were rocked by the goal and Milan were level inside TWO minutes.
Castillejo was the man to fire the Serie A leaders back into the contest from the middle of the box via a slight deflection off Diego Laxalt after some good build-up play from the hosts.

Tom Rogic hit Celtic into an early lead with a tidy low finishCredit: AFP or licensors
The quick-fire double filled Milan with confidence as they started knocking the ball around and creating a number of half chances as they went in search of their third and the game-changing goal.
And they found it just five minutes into the second-half.

Milan superstar Ibrahimovic watches on as Milan recover from early goalsCredit: Reuters
Hauge jinked his way past three Celtic players before superbly finishing into the far corner of Barkas’ goal.
It was a superb strike from the Norwegian – who also netted in the reverse fixture at Parkhead earlier in the group stages.

Turnaround: COMPLETE! 💥Jens Petter Hauge evades multiple challenges before beating Vasilis Barkas! 💫Terrific composure from the 21-year-old 👏 pic.twitter.com/jrQBqXL91k
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) December 3, 2020

Just after the hour Celtic went close to a leveller.
Jeremie Frimpong chopped inside after a clever turn but he dragged his effort wide of the goal after an interception from Nir Bitton to start the attack.
Kristoffer Ajer then went on a galloping run into the heart of the Milan defence but his cut back was well defending from the hosts.

Frimpong – who impressed with his direct running throughout – earned a free-kick 25-yards out to present Celtic with a good opportunity to equalise, but Christie’s effort was superbly kept out by Milan’s No1.
It proved to be the Hoops’ last real chance as the Italian side added a fourth from a superb Brahim Diaz dink over Barkas.
The result coupled up with Lille’s win over Sparta Prague sees both sides qualify for the last 32 of the competition with one round of fixtures remaining.

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GARETH BALE bagged his 200th career goal as Tottenham booked their place in the Europa League knockout phase.
But on a milestone night for the Welshman it was confirmed there is only one real superstar at Spurs – and it’s not Bale.

Gareth Bale made it 1-1 at LASK – it was the 200th goal of his careerCredit: AP:Associated Press

Dele Alli came off the bench to score before the late equaliserCredit: Getty Images – Getty

Nor is it Son Heung-min who fired the North Londoners ahead after the break to become their fourth all-time highest Euro marksman.
No, this victory highlighted once again that for all of the big names now in Jose Mourinho’s squad, the main man is still – and probably always will be – Harry Kane.
The England captain missed this trip with an injury his manager refused to divulge details of.
You suspect, after this showing, the Spurs boss did not want to take the blame for resting his talismanic frontman in case this clash went nipples north – which it very nearly did.

The Premier League leaders showed how important Kane is to them as they looked a shadow of their recent selves without him.
Spurs thought they had won it through Dele Alli’s penalty that made it 3-2 in the 86th minute.
But Mamadou Karamoko’s stoppage time strike earned the Austrians the draw their display deserved.
It was far from vintage Spurs and Mourinho will be looking forward to welcoming Kane back for their North London derby at home to Arsenal on Sunday.

The Welshman scored from the penalty spot on the stroke of half-timeCredit: AP:Associated Press

Bale’s strike – also a penalty – at the end of the first half means he has now scored 57 goals in his two spells at Tottenham, to go alongside the 105 for Real Madrid, 33 for Wales and five at Southampton.
And while the four-time Champions League winner may have a trophy cabinet Kane can only dream of, even he must accept he is not as important to Spurs right now as the Three Lions skipper.
That is why Bale is likely to be back on the bench when the Gunners visit this weekend.
There are not many positives Mourinho could take from this – except at least his team are in the last 32 of Europe’s second competition.
LASK – or to give them their full name Linzer Athletik Sport Klub – are based in Linz, the third largest city in Austria.
Based on the banks of the Danube it is most famous, or infamous, for being the place where Adolf Hitler lived during his youth.
So nothing more to be linked with that other than the fact this match was also played with just one ball.
And no, before World War II music hall fans ask, the other was not in the Albert Hall.
Despite thumping them 3-0 at home in October and then losing 1-0 at Royal Antwerp a week later, Mourinho insisted in the build-up LASK were his team’s strongest challengers in the group.
Mourinho made eight changes to his starting line-up after Sunday’s goalless draw at Chelsea.

Peter Michorl put the hosts ahead on 42 minutesCredit: Getty Images – Getty

Joe Hart will be disappointed he let Michorl’s long range effort inCredit: Reuters
Even though that result kept Spurs top of the Prem ahead of Liverpool on goal difference, Mourinho insisted his side were just a pony in a title race of horses.
He conceded, though, in the Europa League they are viewed as one of the thoroughbreds in a competition so arduous it makes the Grand National look like the 100metres.
Dele must surely now be looking to gallop out of Tottenham next month after being named as a sub, despite his impressive display in last week’s 4-0 win at home to Ludogorets.
Spurs had an early scare when Eggestein fired a shot against a post.
Joe Hart, starting in the Spurs goal ahead of skipper Hugo Lloris, then had to beat away a powerful shot from Rene Renner.
And the former England keeper denied the same player with an even better stop on the half-hour mark as Spurs struggled to find their groove before the break.
So perhaps it was no surprise when Peter Michorl fired the hosts into a 42nd minute lead with a long-range shot which dipped and swerved as it doodlebugged its way past Hart into the bottom corner.
A half-time lead would have been no more than the Austrians deserved – but unbelievably they did not get it as Andres Andrade, who scored an own goal at Tottenham, came to their rescue again by blocking Tanguy Ndombele’s shot in the box with his hand.
Polish ref Paweł Raczkowski pointed to the spot and Bale netted the resulting penalty to make it 1-1 with the last kick of the first half.
Blimey. And you thought Harry Winks’ flukey 56-yarder in the 4-0 win over Ludogorets last week was lucky

Heung-min Son gave Spurs the lead for the first time on 56 minutesCredit: Reuters

Son ran on to the end of Tanguy Ndombele’s pass to slot homeCredit: AP:Associated Press
With snow surrounding the pitch, Mourinho must have thought all his Christmasses had come at once as his outclassed stars went into the interval on level terms.
You suspected his Premier League ponies would not look this gift horse in the mouth and so it came to pass as Son raced away onto Ndombele’s through ball to slot the Londoners 2-1 up in the 56th minute.
It ensured the South Korean became the fourth Spurs player to reach the 20-goal mark in Europe, behind Kane, Jermain Defoe and Martin Chivers.
That looked to be that for Mourinho but Hart undid all of his good work when he let Eggestein’s shot through him for LASK’s leveller in the 84th minute.
But parity was short-lived as Philipp Wiesinger clipped sub Steven Bergwijn’s heels in the box, allowing fellow sub Alli to restore Tottenham’s lead from the spot two minutes later.
Yet LASK had the last laugh with Karamoko’s last-gasp leveller.
Tottenham now host Antwerp on Thursday in a clash to decide who finishes top of Group J.

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LEICESTER CITY endured a night to forget as Caglar Soyuncu lasted just 17 minutes on his return from injury.
And then Zorya Luhansk substitute Allahyar Sayyadmanesh rubbed salt into the Foxes’ wounds with a late winner in Ukraine.

Caglar Soyuncu’s comeback from an abductor injury lasted just 17 minutes in UkraineCredit: Getty Images – Getty

Zorya Luhansk substitute Allahyar Sayyadmanesh scored the winner six minutes from timeCredit: AFP or licensors

Leicester knew victory would confirm their spot at the top of Europa League Group G.
And Brendan Rodgers was able to bring back Soyuncu, Wilfred Ndidi and – for the first time since March – Ricardo Pereira into the fold following long-term injuries.
But Turkish international Soyuncu lasted just 17 minutes before hobbling off clutching the groin area that forced him to miss eight weeks.
And should that be a reoccurring problem that puts him back on the sidelines, it will come as a hammer blow to Rodgers whose side have been plagued by injuries this term.

Ricardo was replaced at half-time and ten minutes later Ndidi followed him off in what appeared to be planned changes.
Wesley Fofana, who came on for Soyuncu, had a glorious chance to open the scoring with a free header from a Cengiz Under free-kick but miscued it well wide.
James Maddison came on with 12 minutes to go and instantly made an impact for the lacklustre Foxes.
First he linked up well with James Justin but the full-back could only find the side netting.

Then the ex-Norwich man had his own effort at goal, trying to wrong-foot Nikola Vasilj but the Zorya goalkeeper saved with his foot.
Sayyadmanesh then arrived unmarked at the back post to fire home the ball after it was slid across the face of goal expertly by right-back Denys Favorov.
Under squandered a one-on-one chance in the first half but was City’s most creative player on the night before Maddison’s introduction.
And it was the on-loan winger who went so close to grabbing a last-gasp equaliser when Vasilj made a spectacular save to turn away his effort from distance nestling into the top corner.

Cengiz Under was Leicester’s biggest creative threat going forward on the right wingCredit: Reuters

Ricardo Pereira played his first senior match since March and lasted 45 minutesCredit: Reuters

Wilfred Ndidi was another Leicester player making his long-awaited return from injuryCredit: AP:Associated Press

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DUNDALK have been slapped with a £45,000 fine by Uefa over coach Filippo Giovagnoli’s involvement with the side.
Italian boss Giovagnoli does not hold the necessary coaching badges to manage in the Europa League.

Filippo Giovagnoli is banned from overseeing Dundalk’s Europa League fixturesCredit: Sportsfile

Opposition analyst Shane Keegan, who does hold a Uefa Pro Licence, was given the green light to manage Dundalk’s Group B matches.
But the governing body have taken a dim view of Giovagnoli’s ‘shadow coaching’ and fined the Irish club.
Uefa rules stated that he may pick the team but must not ‘carry out any function of a head coach’ before or during the game.
The 50-year-old is also banned from talking to his players until an hour after the upcoming games with Molde and Arsenal.

The Gunners’ opponents are already out of the Europa League after four defeats in a row.
Their campaign got off to a fine start with the opening goal against Molde on the opening week.

By the time we head across to the match venue, he is not allowed to make any communication with us – for up to an hour after the final whistle.
Shane KeeganDundalk Analyst/EL Manager

But the Norwegians came back and won the game late on, and now host the League of Ireland outfit on Thursday night.
Arsenal visit Aviva Stadium next week to round off Dundalk’s 2020 campaign, just days after they face Shamrock Rovers in the FAI Cup final.

Ex-defender Giovagnoli had primarily worked with lower-tier Italian clubs and overseas youth academies before his switch to the Lilywhites in August.
Keegan, a former Wexford and Galway manager, will continue to oversee the team for both games.

Dundalk are out of the Europa League with a 3-0 defeat to Arsenal coming in OctoberCredit: Getty Images – Getty

Opposition analyst Shane Keegan will continue to manage Dundalk’s Europa League matchesCredit: Sportsfile – Subscription

Ahead of the Molde trip, he said: “[Giovagnoli] doesn’t have the Pro Licence and there must be rules and regulations into how much you can do on the sidelines if you don’t have one.
“And they felt it overstepped the mark.
“By the time we head across to the match venue, then he is not allowed to make any communication with us – I think for up to an hour after the final whistle.”
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