For the first time in seven months since pandemic declared; fans returned to a Premier League stadium when Chelsea and Brighton played a pre-season friendly match.

According to the details, as many as 2,500 supporters witnessed the match between Chelsea and Brighton that ended in a 1-1 draw.

The 2019-2020 season of the Premier League had returned to action in June following a long hiatus caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

However, the remaining season of the league was played behind closed doors due to the concerns regarding the spread of the virus.

The friendly match was the first time in six months when fans were allowed at the Amex stadium.

Brighton head coach Graham Potter termed it a ”fantastic day” and looked at the development as a small step towards normalcy.

“I thought it was a fantastic day – a small step to getting back to normal as soon as we can safely do so,” the club”s official website quoted Potter as saying.

“It was so nice to see fans here because as we know it brings a completely different dynamic to the stadium and I thought they made a lot of noise and really got involved in the game. Hopefully, they enjoyed the performance as well,” he added.

On the other hand, Arsenal beat Liverpool 5-4 on penalties to lift the FA Community Shield, the curtain-raiser for the English domestic season.

Gunners captain and match goal-scorer Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang fired in the final penalty of the afternoon to complete the north London side’s second win over the league champions in the space of six weeks following a shortened summer break.