Online Reporter
THE PITCH at the Emirates has always been immaculate and the club has won several awards for having the best in the Premier League.
But as we saw during Tuesday’s Carabao Cup semi-final with Chelsea, it is looking quite rough and there is not a lot of grass in the six-yard box and in a few other areas — but little wonder.
You certainly have to feel for the club’s ground staff who are currently working overtime with a massive schedule.
Arsenal face Sunderland in the Premier League on Saturday which will be the 20th men’s home game of the season.
But also this term, all of the club’s Women’s Super League matches are being staged at the Emirates
Sunday’s WSL clash at home to Manchester City will be the women’s eighth clash at the stadium.
But ridiculously, it will also be the FIFTH game to be staged at the Emirates in just eight days.
Arsenal became the first winners of the Fifa Women’s Champions Cup on Sunday with a 3-2 win over Corinthians after extra-time and that match was also played at the Emirates.
It was also a double-header as the third place play-off was staged earlier in the afternoon.
Also do not forget that there were friendlies against Villarreal and Athletic Bilbao staged at the stadium before the start of the season while Brazil also played Senegal there in November.
So you can understand why there are concerns over the state of the pitch particularly as Mikel Arteta’s team continue to do so well in the cups.
The club will do well to win any awards for their pitch this term as over 40 matches will have been played at the Emirates and in future, something might have to give.
Half-hearted
HALF-AND-HALF scarves are considered a sin by most football fans — but Gabriel Magalhaes and Gabriel Martinelli can be forgiven for wearing them last weekend.
The pair donned them while at the Emirates on Sunday to watch Arsenal beat Corinthians in the Fifa Women’s Champions Cup.
The Brazilian club has a special place in the hearts of both players.
Martinelli came through the academy at Corinthians before joining Ituano and later Arsenal.
The winger still watches Corinthians games when he can — and the same goes for Gabriel.
The defender has travelled back to Sao Paulo in the past to see them in action and has been filmed singing with fans on their way to games.
ETHAN NWANERI’S younger brother Emerson was one of eight Arsenal youth players who were paraded in front of the Emirates Stadium crowd on Tuesday night.
Emerson, 15, was presented with his matchday shirt by Per Mertesacker and Head of Academy Coaching Luke Hobbs after being called up to the Uefa Youth League squad as a schoolboy.
The teenager, who operates as an attacking midfielder and a centre-forward, is following in his older brother’s footsteps at Arsenal as part of Arsenal’s youth set-up and has represented the U18s and U21s this season.
Ethan previously revealed that the pair are targeting the idea of playing alongside each other for the first team in the future.
He said: “We’re really close, but I wouldn’t say we are that similar. He’s probably more outgoing than me — he’s the loud one.
“There are three years between us so it would be really cool if we could both play in the Arsenal first team together one day.
“We’ve spoken about that a bit and what that would be like, it’s something to aim for.”
derick.khumalo