Football news - Arsenal take a knee and wear Black Lives Matter messages ahead of friendly

ByMichael Hincks

Updated 10/06/2020 at 19:36 GMT+1

Arsenal players showed their support for Black Lives Matter ahead of their friendly against Brentford on Wednesday.

Sead Kolasinac, Nicolas Pepe, Matteo Guendouzi and Alexandre Lacazette of Arsenal take a knee in support of Black Lives Matter before the friendly match between Arsenal and Brentford at Emirates Stadium on June 10, 2020

Image credit: Getty Images

A variety messages, including ‘Silence is violence’ and ‘I’m not black but I stand with you’, were on t-shirts worn by the players, with head coach Mikel Arteta’s t-shirt reading ‘We stand in solidarity’.

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The whole squad also took a knee in the latest display of support from Premier League clubs following the death of George Floyd last month.

Protests have taken place around the world since Floyd died in police custody in the USA.

Reiss Nelson, Zech Medley and Hector Bellerin of Arsenal take a knee in support of Black Lives Matter before the friendly match between Arsenal and Brentford at Emirates Stadium on June 10, 2020

Image credit: Getty Images

Bukayo Saka of Arsenal warms up before the friendly match between Arsenal and Brentford at Emirates Stadium on June 10, 2020

Image credit: Getty Images

Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta wears a 'We stand in solidarity' t-shirt

Image credit: Getty Images

PL clubs to honour coronavirus victims and show support for Black Lives Matter

The Premier League clubs are discussing the best ways they can honour the victims of the coronavirus pandemic, and show support for the anti-racist movement Black Lives Matter.

The season is set to resume next week, three months after it went on hiatus. In the meantime, over 40,000 people in the UK are confirmed to have died from coronavirus.

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Clubs may opt to hold a minute's silence in their memory prior to matches, and may also don a heart-shaped logo on kits as a thank-you to NHS staff for their efforts.

They are also open to the possibility of players taking a knee before kick-off to show their support for the Black Lives Matter movement.

The uncomfortable truth: Sport’s response to racism still isn’t enough

Athletes and clubs using their platform in response to police brutality in America and racial injustice is necessary, writes Pete Sharland, but sport still has so much more it can do in the fight against racism.

Click here to read the full feature