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This weekend, Arsenal will don their all-white uniform in support of their campaign against knife crime and youth violence during a home game for the first time.
On Sunday afternoon, the Gunners will face Liverpool in the third round of the FA Cup at the Emirates Stadium. It will be the first time in their 138-year history that they will be playing at home in an all-white kit.
The usual red and white uniform worn by Arsenal will have less red as a part of their ‘No More Red’ initiative aimed at combating knife crime and violence among young people on the streets of London.
The Gunners and Adidas are collaborating in a campaign to create safer football spaces in Islington. By 2024, a third renovated community pitch will be unveiled, making it the third space to be improved since the start of the campaign.
In two previous instances, they have sported an all-white uniform. These occasions were both FA Cup third-round matches – a loss to Nottingham Forest in 2022 and a victory over Oxford 12 months ago. However, these games were both played away. It has never happened before in their entire history that they have worn all-white for a home game in a competitive setting.
The kit is currently not for sale, but supporters can purchase a custom community t-shirt for £30, with all proceeds going to the charity partners of the ‘No More Red’ campaign.
The women’s team of Arsenal will wear the all-white uniform for the first time during their match against Watford in the FA Cup fourth round in January.
Last season’s FA Cup saw Arsenal triumph over Oxford while donning their all-white uniform during an away game.
This season, the Gunners are aiming to secure their 15th FA Cup title, which would be a record-breaking achievement. In 2020, Mikel Arteta claimed his first trophy as manager with a FA Cup win.
The Premier League has been challenging for them during the holiday season, as they lost to West Ham and Fulham and only earned one point in a draw with Liverpool. This has caused them to drop from first place to fourth.
Arteta is likely to view the FA Cup as a positive diversion and is anticipated to select a formidable lineup for their upcoming match on Sunday in an attempt to hinder the current impressive performance of Jurgen Klopp’s team.
Source: independent.co.uk
