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Cardiff lose at Arsenal as teams pay tribute to Sala

January 31, 2019 00:00:00


Arsenal and Cardiff players and fans observing a minute's silence as a tribute to Emiliano Sala before the match on Tuesday — Reuters

LONDON, Jan 30 (AP): Arsenal strikers Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette both scored in the second half to give the Gunners a 2-1 win over Cardiff in the Premier League on Tuesday, in the visitors' first game since the plane carrying record signing Emiliano Sala disappeared last week.

Aubameyang's penalty gave Arsenal the lead in the 66th minute and Lacazette doubled the advantage with a well-taken solo goal in the 83rd, before Nathaniel Mendez-Laing pulled one back in injury time for Cardiff.

It was an emotional game for Neil Warnock's side, as the missing Sala and pilot David Ibbotson were remembered throughout a somber evening in north London. Two days after Sala's transfer to Cardiff from Nantes, the small passenger plane carrying the Argentine striker and Ibbotson disappeared over the English Channel.

Warnock and his staff wore daffodils - a national emblem for Wales - and the yellow flowers were handed out to both Cardiff and Arsenal fans at the Emirates Stadium before the game.

"We spoke about it before the kickoff: for Emiliano we ought to try to put a performance in," Warnock said. "I can't explain how it's been this week. You've not really wanted to get out of bed, because you know what's coming. Everything was really miserable.

Nobody could actually do anything about it. In the circumstances, we've only worked on it for 24 hours, the system and everything. They couldn't have given me any more tonight. I'm proud to be their manager tonight."


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