The historic derby win by Arsenal Football Club over Chelsea Football Club at the iconic Wembley Stadium in London, is the most viewed football match of the season in the elite English football, with 8.2 viewers recorded across all platforms, the British Broadcasting Corporation BBC, has disclosed this afternoon, 2nd of August 2020. It beats the 7.3 million views recorded for the much spoken about Manchester United Football Club versus Chelsea Football Club match in the semifinals of the FA Cup in July 2020. The BBC said it was also aired on BT Sport, and raked a 46.1% audience share.

The BBC highlighted that, “the top eight matches watched on TV in the 2019-20 season were all on the BBC, the top seven being in the FA Cup.

“Most-watched football fixtures of 2019-2020:

1. FA Cup final: Arsenal v Chelsea 8.2m * (BBC – does not include BT Sport figures)
2. FA Cup semi-final: Manchester United v Chelsea 7.3m* (BBC)
3. FA Cup: Liverpool v Everton 7.2m * (BBC)
4. FA Cup: Chelsea v Liverpool 6.8m * (BBC)
5. FA Cup: Norwich City v Manchester United 6.4m * (BBC)
6. FA Cup: Shrewsbury Town v Liverpool 6.1m * (BBC)
7. FA Cup: Arsenal v Leeds United 6m * (BBC)
8. Premier League: Southampton v Manchester City 5.7m * (BBC)
9. Premier League: Everton v Liverpool 5.5m (Sky)
   • *5min peak across all BBC platforms including BARB data”

Chelsea started the match with a quick goal after just four minutes when Olivier Giroud, former Arsenal player (who had never lost a match at the Wembley Stadium until yesterday’s loss) in his usual close-touch and delicate layoff style, put the slightest of touches to a cross from the left, just as he pulled markers along with him to free Christian Pulicic, who smartly controls the ball and whips it past Emiliano Martinez, the Arsenal goalkeeper, from close range.

But the Gunners, as Arsenal FC are fondly called, equalised later in the match through a beautifully taken penalty by Gabonese Pierre Emerick Aubameyang. He was fouled in the box as he charged towards goal, to earn the penalty kick, dusting himself up to calmly send William Caballero the wrong way.

The victory was sealed with a wonderful strike by Aubameyang, with his weaker left foot, just after an hour mark. The former Borussia Dortmund striker had received a great pass from Nicolas Pepe, moved away from a challenge and as the marker and the goalkeeper were expecting him to shift the ball to his right foot, he lifted the ball over the goalkeeper.

The Gunners maintained a compact defence and midfield as Chelsea were reduced to 10 players when Matteo Kovacic received his second booking in the game. Nevertheless, it is a match that Arsenal deserved to win. Chelsea had no single shot on target in the entire second half.

Aside this record of viewers, there were several more set or equalled yesterday:

• Arsenal extend their record of the highest winners of the FA Cup from 13 to 14
• Pierre Emerick Aubameyang scores two or more goals in semifinal and final matches of an FA Cup
• Arsenal have qualified for European competition for consecutive 25th time
• Pierre Emerick Aubameyang is perhaps the first African player to captain an English side to victory in the FA Cup
• Mikel Arteta has won the FA Cup as both a captain (of Arsenal) and a coach (of Arsenal).

In addition, Wolverhampton Wanderers FC will miss out on Europe next season unless they win this season’s Europa League, due to Arsenal’s FA Cup triumph. Tottenham Hotspur football club will need to play in three qualifying matches to qualify for the group stage of the Europa League.

Source: BBC