Today's fixture against Norwich City marks our first home Premier League Saturday 3pm kick-off in front of a capacity crowd since March 2020.
Despite the fact he'll miss the fixture through injury, Mohamed Elneny was keen to highlight the importance of having supporters back at Emirates Stadium
“Football matches without fans are just like friendly games,” he told the official matchday programme. “Personally I don’t like it, it’s not the same.
"I think everybody would say that – even watching it on TV, you don’t enjoy it the same way. Fans are a really important part of the game, and when they aren’t there it’s different, just not the same, and not right.
“We’ve had too long without fans now, andI really missed them. For me as a player, even an atmosphere when the opposition fans are against you is better than no atmosphere at all - 100 per cent.
“The first thing is safety, but as long as it’s safe, then you have to have fans. It makes you play better. First you play for the club, but you also play for the fans. They push you on. They have been at work all week, then when the weekend comes they want to watch their team and enjoy it. We want to make them go home happy – that’s our job.
“To have that home support from the fans is an amazing feeling, in the stadium or even out in the street when you have people come to you.
“In fact yesterday I met a fan when I was out. It was my friend’s birthday, he works in a shop, so I went along to surprise him, and when I was there a fan came up to me and said really nice things – it makes you happy to hear that, and you want to give your best for them.”
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