Arsenal drew this Europa League clash against Sporting Lisbon - but that was the last thing on anyone’s mind.
Instead, thoughts were firmly with Danny Welbeck, who is facing another arduous road back to fitness after suffering a sickening ankle injury in the first half.
It was one of those injuries you wish you never saw. One that you cannot erase from memory no matter how hard you try. Welbeck was taken straight to hospital, but you didn’t need to be medically trained to realise the severity of his injury. We’re looking at months, rather than weeks.
Given Welbeck’s entering the final six months of his contract, and the gruesome photos of his ankle twisted in the wrong direction - you wonder if we’ll ever see him in an Arsenal shirt again.
But that’s a debate for an altogether different day. Right now, you simply hope Welbeck makes a full recovery.
Unai Emery confirmed: ‘This is the worst news, it’s clear we are all with him. He’s in hospital, we think it is serious ankle injury.
‘When a player has an injury like that, your mind thinks of the player but we had to concentrate on the game and try to forget.
‘But after the final whistle we asked about him straight away.’
Meanwhile, Arsenal's London rivals, Chelsea, all but booked their round of 32 spot after former Gunners forward, Olivier Giroud scored the lone goal against Bate Borisov.
For Giroud, it marked the end of a personal ordeal, as he scored his first Chelsea goal for 794 minutes - a run that stretched all the way back to May. For Chelsea, the relief was palpable.
Meanwhile, former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says he has not been approached by Real Madrid over their vacant managerial position.
Real Madrid Castilla manager Santiago Solari has been installed as the interim boss at the Santiago Bernabeu following the sacking of Julen Lopetegui last month. But newspaper reports in Spain claim the Champions League winners are in search of a long-term replacement.
Wenger dismissed claims he has been contacted by Real Madrid and reiterated he would make a decision on his future in the new year.
-Dailymail