Match Coverage

Arsenal fans’ pre-match Emirates Stadium ritual goes hilariously wrong before Shakhtar Donetsk win

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Arsenal recorded victory over Shakhtar Donetsk in their Champions League clash, but it was hardly the most enjoyable evening at the Emirates Stadium.

An own goal following a Gabriel Martinelli shot handed Arsenal all three points in their third Champions League game, with Shakhtar threatening towards the end in a poor performance from the home side.

The Emirates Stadium saw a somewhat subdued atmosphere, with plenty of tickets listed on the Arsenal exchange on the day, and it felt like a night where very little went right for Arsenal despite the result.

One funny moment in the crowd before kick-off set the tone for the game, as Arsenal fans in the North Bank were left egg-faced as the players walked out onto the pitch.

Arsenal FC v Leeds United - Premier League
Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images

Arsenal fans display banner the wrong way before Shakhtar victory

Before the majority of games, Arsenal have a huge banner in support of Mikel Arteta with the caption “vamos,” meaning ‘let’s go’ in Spanish, which is unfurled before kick off in the North Bank of the stadium.

The banner was unfurled before the Shakhtar game, but there was a problem, as it was facing the wrong way. Whilst this was spectacularly wrong for the rest of the stadium, those underneath the banner were unaware that it was unreadable.

Fans did see the funny side, with one posting “This was a sign of things to come,” on X in response.

The banner was a popular addition when it was first introduced two years ago, but after this embarrassing moment, some fans are keen for it to be replaced.

Should Arsenal replace the ‘Vamos’ banner?

The banner is no longer new, vibrant and imaginative, but is used in every game, with the colours starting to fade.

“Genuine question when are they going to give this banner a rest? Seen it more times than my own dad,” one fan posted in reference to the banner.

“It’s so boring the colours are starting to fade,” another stated.

A new banner would certainly be welcomed by a lot of fans, with this one perhaps running its course, but a similar message could be shared, with the vast majority of supporters still firmly behind Arteta and his team.