Arsenal paid their respect to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in their first game since she passed away last week against Brentford at the Brentford Community Stadium.
The club as a whole had began to pay their respects long before Sunday's match by laying a wreath at the training ground. Mikel Arteta moved to address the impact he had felt after the passing of the Queen in his pre-match press conference.
"I think it’s phenomenal what the country has done," he said. "I think it shows the level of admiration and respect and the legacy that the Queen has left on the lives of so many. It was very emotional and coming from a different country and culture to see that reaction it’s pretty special. I think it tells you a lot about who she was and what she’s left behind her."
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The Arsenal Women's team held a minute's silence in memory of Her Majesty on Friday night ahead of their game with WSL curtain raiser against Brighton, before singing 'God save the King' to commemorate the ascension of King Charles III to the throne. This gesture was repeated by all the academy sides throughout their weekend's fixtures.
Mikel Arteta then ditched his usual pre-match attire of a jumper and smart trousers in favour of a black suit with a black tie. All club staff who attended the game also wore black ties instead of their usual red ones.
These tributes continued prior to the game when players held a minutes silence ahead of the kick and the managers Arteta and Thomas Frank laid a wreath in the centre circle prior to kick off. The silence was impeccably observed by the fans who all upheld the sombre sense of respect felt around the Brentford Community Stadium.
This was followed by a singing of the national anthem in which Aaron Ramsdale and Ben White could be seen singing 'God Save the King'.
Going into the game the moments of respect carried on. As in stadium across the country prior to this one, the fans held a minutes applause on 70 minutes to pay tribute the fact that the Queen was on the throne for 70 years.
Overall it was a touching day in West London where football's divisions were cast aside for a moment to pay homage to someone who had been a constant throughout the lives of most of those in attendance. Football is a game of rivalries, but some events mean more.
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