The exterior of Emirates Stadium has been stripped back to concrete walls

The familiar artwork that has long covered the walls of the Emirates has been torn down – leaving fans guessing at what will go up next, writes Anna Lamche.

The club has now stripped back the red and white cladding that once decorated the Emirates to reveal the stadium’s concrete walls beneath.

The stadium will be “bare” for the next few weeks, club bosses have announced, and the new design will remain a tightly guarded secret until it is unveiled in January.

Although the club has asked the Town Hall for planning permission for the changes, planning documents do not reveal the designs being proposed.

Arsenal said it has worked closely with the community to develop eight new pieces of art “that are true to who we are, what we are, and who we represent as a club”.

James Horswell, from Plymouth, has been a fan for “30-odd years”. He said he hopes to “see something from all the eras – the Invincibles, and going back to George Graham and Ian Wright” in the new design.

Meanwhile, Grace Galbrath, who had travelled from Sheffield to Highbury for Beth Mead’s book signing on Wednesday, said: “I’d like to see the ladies – our Lionesses – up there. They’re champions. That would show how much they’re coming up now.”

Leo Andrade, from Highbury, said it was “odd” to see the stadium stripped back to its beams and rafters, but said of the previous design: “It was a bit off, it didn’t have much to do with the surrounding neighbourhood.

“I’ve lived here 40 years and I think it should have more to do with the community.”

Ms Andrade, an autism rights campaigner, said she would like to see the clubs’ work with disabled people highlighted. “They have done a lot of work with people who have special needs and I think it should have more about that, and about the schools and community.”