The fans in Sydney made their feelings pretty clear on Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger in the pre-match build up.
The Gunners kicked off pre-season with a friendly against Sydney FC in front of over 80,000 fans inside the ANZ stadium, but it was what came before that initially drew some attention on social media.
The lineups were being announced, and when the announcer got to the Arsenal manager, the “biggest cheer of the night” went up from the fans.
Arsene Wenger's name gets the biggest cheer of the night as the team line-ups are announced.
— Charles Watts (@charles_watts) July 13, 2017
Arsène has had a very tough period with the club over the last 12 months with his contract expiring in the summer. Fans were split over whether he should stay or go.
The constant debate grew more and more intense until it spilled over into the stands and onto the pitch. Arsenal eventually finished in fifth in the Premier League, much to the fans’ disappointment, but did walk away as FA Cup winners the following.
Still, the reaction was mixed when Wenger’s contract extension was announced, so you may have expected the same response to his name being read out in Sydney.
However, the fans in Australia clearly still have a lot of affection for the man in charge and will continue to support him while he’s at the helm.
WENGER: "Before we start I'm thankful to the crowd of 80,000 turning up for the game. It shows how incredible the support is here." pic.twitter.com/Pd4ZEbh3Ny
— ANZ Stadium (@ANZStadium) July 13, 2017