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Sala never had the chance to play for Cardiff, the plane carrying Argentina and the pilot David Ibbotson having lost contact with him on 21 January, as he was heading to the Welsh capital, just two days later have made a £ 15 million move from Nantes.
A minute of reflection took place before the kick-off and fans visiting Cardiff unveiled a banner: "We have never seen you play and you have never scored but Emiliano, our beautiful blue bird, we will love you always more."
Captains from both sides also laid a bouquet of flowers on the ground before the kickoff, while jerseys and Argentine flags were waved among the visitors.
Cardiff manager Neil Warnock called last week the hardest of his career and revealed that he and some of his players had asked for help from psychologists before the match.
However, under tragic circumstances, Cardiff achieved a remarkable performance once the action was launched and could have boosted their chances of survival had they benefited from many opportunities in the first half.
Bobby Reid flew away, then headed very early with two clearest opportunities.
Arsenal boss Unai Emery surprisingly named Mesut Ozil as captain, while the German was recalled among the seven changes of the team that started the FA Cup defeat Friday against Manchester United.
Ozil started a Premier League match for the first time since Boxing Day, but he failed to make an impact before being replaced 14 minutes from the end of the match as Arsenal struggled maintain in proven conditions.
The Gunners, however, had two powerful punishments before the break, with Alexandre Lacazette appearing to have been touched by Bruno Ecuele Manga and then by Sol Bamba.
The great luck of Cardiff
Cardiff had another chance to be in the lead early in the second period when Shkodran Mustafi was able to block the shot of the beginner Oumar Nibade.
And Arsenal finally started the game and got the penalty he wanted for the third time: Manga hit Sead Kolasinac when the Bosnian broke into the box.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has escaped the penalty for his 15th goal in the Premier League of the season to get close to one of the division's top scorers, Mohamed Salah.
Cardiff goalkeeper Neil Etheridge got up well to block Alex Iwobi's powerful drive from a narrow angle moments later.
However, Lacazette's skewed shot had too much power for the Philippine striker seven minutes from the end of the match to seal three crucial points in Arsenal's bid for a return to the Champions League next season.
The Gunners remain in fifth place on goal difference, but advance on equal points with Chelsea, in action at Bournemouth on Wednesday.
Cardiff, on the other hand, remains rooted in the last three of the standings, but at least managed to console his efforts on deserved night when his replacement, Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, ran home in stoppage time.
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