Arsenal have been forced to wear their yellow and grey away kit for tonight’s Champions League clash with FC Basel, despite playing the tie at the Emirates Stadium, the club have confirmed.
Uefa have ruled that the Gunners’ home kit clashes with Basel’s home kit while the visitors are not allowed to wear their away kit because of its white sleeves which is another clash. The Swiss champions do not possess a third kit this season.
This is not the first time this has happened with Arsenal forced to wear a third kit for a home tie, although the Gunners may be somewhat unnerved by the fact that on the two previous occasions it has happened they have gone on to lose the match.
Arsenal wore an away kit at home at a Champions League game played at Wembley, in 1998 against Lens. The French side’s red and yellow kit caused a clash so Arsenal wore a blue third kit in a game that the Gunners lost 1-0.
Arsenal also wore an away kit at home against Benfica in 1991, another game they lost, slipping to a 3-1 defeat to the Portuguese side.
The Gunners will be hoping it is a case of third time lucky on Wednesday night as they seek to follow-up their opening draw with Paris Saint-Germain with victory against FC Basel.
The Swiss champions needed a late equaliser to snatch a draw against Ludogorets and victory for the Gunners would put them in pole position in the group after two games played.