Arsenal started their Europa league campaign on a bright note, as they gave their fans a ray of sunshine and laughter on a night the whole country mourned the death of Queen Elizabeth, whose reigned for about 70 years on the throne of her ancestors.
BASIC FACTS
- Arsenal has won their first European match of the season.
- The victory was a balm to a nation mourning the loss of the British longest serving monarch.
- The Arsenal team is said to have learnt of the Queen’s death until during the half time of the game.
WHAT WE KNOW
Brazilian teenager Marquinhos scored on his Arsenal debut as the Gunners started their Europa League campaign with a 2-1 win over FC Zurich in Switzerland on Thursday.
Nineteen-year-old Marquinhos, signed from Sao Paulo in June, finished first time from a low Eddie Nketiah cross in the 16th minute to put Arsenal ahead in the city of St Gallen.
Zurich, who were Swiss champions last season for the first time since 2009, equalised just before half time when Mirlind Kryeziu converted a penalty after a foul in the box by Nketiah.
However, Nketiah made up for that by scoring the winning goal just after the hour mark, heading in a hanging cross from Marquinhos.
The game took place as news of the death of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II came through, and the two sets of players held a minute’s silence before the start of the second half.
The win made it the perfect start in Group A for Arsenal, after coach Mikel Arteta made eight changes to his line-up following the 3-1 weekend defeat at Manchester United in the Premier League.
Gabriel Jesus, Martin Odegaard and Aaron Ramsdale were among the players rested while Marquinhos made his first appearance, as did American goalkeeper Matt Turner, signed in the close season from New England Revolution.
Fabio Vieira also made a first start since joining from Porto.
Group rivals PSV Eindhoven and Bodo/Glimt drew 1-1 in the Netherlands, with Cody Gakpo equalising for Ruud van Nistelrooy’s side after Albert Gronbaek had given the Norwegian champions the lead.
Arsenal welcome PSV to the Emirates Stadium next Thursday.
CATCH-UP
Following the Queen death, all sporting events this Friday has been cancelled.
Arsenal have had a perfect start to the season both in Europe and at home. However, the Mirkel Arteta side need to focus to maintain their winning streak
Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-serving monarch in British history and an icon instantly recognisable to billions of people around the world, died on Thursday. She was 96.
Buckingham Palace announced her death in a short statement. With her passing, the UK begins 10 days of national mourning and an outpouring of tributes to her long life and record-breaking reign.
With the Queen’s passage, Prince Charles; the Prince of Wales 73, the eldest of four children, Immediately becomes king. The Prince of Wales, is the oldest heir apparent in British history.
The queen’s death came after the palace announced on Thursday that doctors were “concerned” for her health and recommended she stayed under medical supervision.
All her children — Charles, Princess Anne, 72, Prince Andrew, 62, and Prince Edward, 58, flocked to her Scottish Highland retreat, Balmoral.
They were joined by Charles’s sons, Prince William, and his estranged brother Prince Harry.
Two days earlier the queen appointed Liz Truss as the 15th prime minister of her reign and was seen smiling in photographs but looking frail and using a walking stick.
One photograph of the meeting sparked alarm, showing a deep purple bruise on the monarch’s right hand.
NOTABLE QUOTE
Buckingham Palace on Thursday said, “The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement at 6:30 pm (1730 GMT).
“The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow.”
COMMENTARY
Two days before the unfortunate death of the British monarch, she appointed Liz Truss as the 15th Prime Minister of the United Kingdom since her reign.
Queen Elizabeth II came to the throne aged just 25 in 1952 in the aftermath of World War II, joining a world stage dominated by political figures from China’s Mao Zedong to Soviet leader Joseph Stalin and US president Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Her 70-year reign straddled two centuries of seismic social, political and technological upheaval.
The last vestiges of Britain’s vast empire crumbled. At home, Brexit shook the foundations of her kingdom, and her family endured a series of scandals.
But throughout, she remained consistently popular and was queen and head of state not just of the United Kingdom but 14 former British colonies, including Australia, Canada and New Zealand.
She was also head of the 56-nation Commonwealth, which takes in a quarter of humanity, and supreme governor of the Church of England, the mother church of the worldwide Anglican communion.
The Queen was Nigeria Head of State until 1963, when the independent constitution was amended for Nigeria to become a republic and Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe the first indigenous president.
However, the Queen as Nigerian Head of State was more ceremonial than real, as the real power was with the Governor Generals who represented her. At independence in 1960, Azikiwe became the Governor General, taking over from James Robertson.
No doubt the Queen Elizabeth era saw many changes. However, what remains to be seen is if the golden age of the British monarchy has now passed, how an ancient institution remain viable in the modern era?
Will Prince Charles, now King Charles command the same respect or reign in his mother’s shadow.
