Arsenal may have lost 3-2 to Brentford in a behind closed doors friendly at the Emirates on Wednesday afternoon but the match will surely be remembered for the powerful message of solidarity Mikel Arteta’s squad showed with the Black Lives Matter movement prior to kick-off.

The entire squad and the head coach took the knee in support of the anti-racism campaigns that have shaken the world since the death of George Floyd who died in custody after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for nine minutes, ignoring his pleas of ‘I can’t breathe.’

The chilling incident touched off demonstrations across the globe as public support for the Black Lives Matter movement surges amid backing for BAME communities everywhere.

Last week all official Arsenal accounts tweeted images of a black screen to more than 16m followers in support of BlackOutTuesday to highlight black voices on social media platforms against racial inequality in a day of reflection in the aftermath of Floyd’s death.

However, the friendly fixture against Brentford was the first time Arsenal players had been seen taking the knee. In addition the squad warmed up for the match in black t-shirts supporting the cause.

Bukayo Saka sported a t-shirt that said: 'My skin is not a crime,' with teammate Hector Bellerin donning a top which read: 'I'm not black but I stand with you,’ while Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang were pictured taking the knee with Maitland-Niles t-shirt calling for change while Aubameyang's top said: 'I stand with you.' Head coach Arteta wore a top with the words ‘We stand in solidarity,’ while Kieran Tierney wore a shirt that echoed the tragic Floyd’s last words: ‘I can’t breathe.’

Arteta fielded a strong side including Mesut Ozil, Aubameyang, David Luiz, Bellerin, Matteo Guendouzi and Sokratis Papastathopoulos.

The Gunners held a 1-0 lead at the interval as Joe Willock fired home after Bellerin's surging run – but the Gunners defensive problems were highlighted when Luiz was punished for losing possession, which allowed Tariqe Fosu to level.

Alex Lacazette put Arteta's side ahead again with a smart spin and finish before late goals from Halil Dervisoglu and Shandon Baptiste sealed victory for the Bees.

However, the result mattered little in the scheme of things on a momentous day when the club shared an image with the entire squad taking a knee on the Emirates turf and the statement: ‘Black Lives Matter.’

The powerful image came hard on the heels of BlackOutTuesday when Arsenal tweeted a statement which said: “We stand against racism. We stand side by side with our black community. We stand with our black players of the past, present and future. We celebrate diversity. We belong together.”