Arsenal fans are feeling the joys of watching their team once more but it's certainly coming at a price. With the form of the current table toppers has come a demand to be a part of this incredible season.
Whereas the Gunners have been seen to previously struggle with selling out games, especially Europa League ties on Thursday nights, there is once more a clamour for tickets. With the rise in atmosphere at the Emirates Stadium it is now an entirely different state of affairs to last season.
This is perhaps the best feeling the club has had since it moved from Highbury, with connection to a young group of players led by Mikel Arteta creating an energised environment around the place. It has been recognisable at several key points this season, none more so than the dramatic 3-2 victory over Manchester United.
Scepticism that came after three matches without a win - two of those coming at home - has since been put on the back burner with back-to-back victories over Aston Villa and Leicester rekindling the hope within the fanbase. Manchester City dropping points last weekend to Nottingham Forest has given the Gunners a buffer once more as they head into Wednesday night's clash against Everton with the hope of avenging their 1-0 loss just under four weeks ago.
With the game being rescheduled it is not on TV, to the anger of fans, and has created uproar with the chance being missed to watch a side fighting for the title. Meanwhile fierce North London rivals Tottenham have been picked out for TV action more than the title contenders.
The game against Everton is a case in point and has seen many fans left disappointed and without tickets. They are currently still on sale on the club's website but only with one specific hostpitality boxes available. It comes at quite a price too, with £6,000 the cheapest executive box left and the most expensive being a staggering £9,000 for the one match.
The issue for many fans, as has been the case for most of the season, is that the form of the side has made tickets more sought after and therefore the price of resale has been steadily rising. It is a problem throughout football, with ticket touts and bots created to buy and resell at a major profit.
It was only earlier in the month that the club issued a statement regarding the popularity of tickets, writing: "We’re aware that some of our members have found it difficult to access tickets due to unprecedented levels of demand and we know, in some instances, tickets have been acquired through bot traffic and touts.
"We are working extensively to address these issues and clamp down on this illegal activity. We want to keep supporters updated with progress on this.
"Our increased efforts include a new process for dealing with suspicious online activity. This means users will either be banned immediately if there's sufficient proof of illegal activity, or tickets purchased where we suspect unusual behaviour will be held for collection where the purchaser must produce ID to obtain them. If they're a season ticket holder, our stadium management team will also carry out seat checks to ensure the right person is using the ticket."
The club also revealed that they are attempting new ways of blocking touting activity and bots. It does not stop fans from selling on tickets via social media for inflated prices though with demand still rising. football.london has been made aware of some supporters paying in advance of £200 for tickets against Chelsea in November. The away day scheme limits all clubs to charging more than £30 for away tickets meaning that fans selling theirs have made more than six times that on resale via other avenues.
Meanwhile, other tickets for the upcoming match are being sold for over £400 on selected ticket resale sites, ripping off fans. New fans coming to England with the hopes of catching a game may well pay over the odds for tickets, making it even more pricier to get access to a match.
With Everton general sale sold out to season ticket holders and members already there is added incentive for fans to try and pick up tickets online but many will be left disappointed at the prices now being charged by mass resale sites and also other fans. The safest place to get tickets is still the club website but demand has made that hard.
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