To do so we will have to somehow turn around this dreadful run we have been on and get the better of a very good Valencia side. Like us their best chance of playing in European football’s biggest competition next season is through the Europa League as they’re fifth in their domestic league with three games to go.
Unai Emery has a few decisions to make ahead of the game with his formation and personnel on the night of crucial importance. We have done well at home in big games this season with the results against Spurs, United, Chelsea and Napoli in particular standing out. We’re going to need some of the commitment and attitude shown in those games if we’re going to take a lead to the second leg in Spain next week.
I think he has to play his strongest team possible which should see Mesut Ozil return from the knock which kept him out of the debacle at Leicester, but otherwise there won’t be too many changes from that team which is worrying considering the performance they gave. Laurent Koscielny was rested of course, but he had to come on when Ainsley Maitland-Niles was sent off, but hopefully he’ll have something left after only playing 45 minutes. I think we have to play both of our strikers in the hope we can get a couple of goals to take to Spain with us next week.
As bad as our away form has been we managed to win away to Napoli after we had beaten them 2-0 at home in the first leg. If we can get a similar result at home to Valencia I think we have every chance of progressing over the two legs and our cause will be greatly helped if we can keep a clean sheet tonight. Valencia aren’t exactly a swashbuckling team who score loads of goals and they will be very difficult to break down, but I think we have to win tonight to have any hope of progressing.
We’ll see the return of two players who weren’t really considered good enough for Arsenal with both Gabriel Paulista and Francis Coquelin probably in the starting line up for Valencia. To be honest I don’t think they were at a level to which we would aspire, but they’re certainly no worse than most of the rest of our current squad either. Hopefully it will be an unhappy return for both players as they’re on the end of a very positive result for Arsenal.
The last week has been very difficult and the efforts of the players allied to poor team set up and tactics from the manager only made it worse. We offered so little in attack against both Wolves and Leicester that it’s hard to believe the same players can put on a top class performance tonight. I think we have to hope this semi final has being weighing on their collective minds and they can find what’s required of them tonight.
We came so close to reaching the Europa League Final last season, but we were undone on the break at home when we were 1-0 up in a game we dominated and could/should have won. It seemed like such an Arsenal thing to do and I can only hope we don’t get a repeat performance tonight, but nothing is certain with these players. I’m hopeful of the win and making it to the final, but I’m certainly far from confident.
That’s it for today.
See you tomorrow.
No comments:
Post a Comment