British police said six people were arrested Thursday evening ahead of Aston Villa 's Europa League match with Maccabi Tel-Aviv in Birmingham, which passed without serious incident.

The league phase match at Villa Park, which the hosts won 2-0, became a major political event after the Israeli club's supporters were banned from attending due to fears over their safety.

- Security operations ramp up ahead of Villa-Maccabi

West Midlands Police, which has deployed more than 700 officers over concerns of clashes between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli groups, said a 21-year-old man was arrested for failing to comply with an order to remove a face mask while a 17-year-old boy was arrested for failing to comply with a dispersal order.

Three others were arrested for racially aggravated pu

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