Arsenal will be facing Valencia, in the second leg of the Europa League semis, at the Mestalla Stadium on Thursday night after a sensational first-leg performance at the Emirates Stadium last week.
The Gunners carry with them a 3-1 lead thanks to a first-half brace from Alex Lacazette and a last-minute strike from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Unai Emery will be hoping that his strike force can hit the same heights as they did in the home tie where they proved to be unrivaled.
Though a challenge, Emery’s men will need to be tight at the back and a fresh Laurent Koscielny should provide the much-needed leadership after being rested against Brighton during the weekend.
The captain’s expected return to the starting eleven is a significant boost given his experience and leadership qualities. He will have to rally his team on and off the pitch to inspire a decent result.
The Gunners hopes of qualifying for the Champions League now solely depends on lifting the Europa League after a poor run of results, crowned on Sunday with a 1-1 draw at home against the Seagulls.
A poor run in the Premier League has snarled them to three losses, one draw and just a single win in the last five fixtures. This is not encouraging heading into a very crucial match and the manager will be hoping his team turns up on the big stage. Nevertheless, it’s fair to note that the Emirates Club has been impressive in Europe.
In the quarter-finals of this competition, they have already eliminated a talented Napoli side after winning 3-0 on aggregate and they will be fancying their chances of reaching the finals. With a questionable away from, Emery will be hoping that the boys snatch an early goal just to relax nerves.
To ensure success in this round, they will have to defend as a team, avoid any form of complacency and be clinical when scoring opportunities fall their way. Though it might appear that the Gunners are in the driver’s seat nothing is yet guaranteed and will still have to be at their best to prevent Marcelino’s men from making a comeback.
The Los Ches must be a buoyant side at the moment after hammering Huesca 2-6 during their La Liga tie on Sunday. Regardless of the side they played, such a score line can be a confident booster and the away side will have to vigilant to avoid any surprises.
The hosts will have to score two goals without conceding so as to advance in normal time. A goal for the North London club though will complicate matters for the home side as they will need to beat Petr Cech at least to four times to secure a ticket to Baku, Azerbaijan for the finals.
