Arsenal travel to Italy for their second leg fixture of the Europa League Quarter-final against Napoli. The Gunners carry with them a two-nil lead advantage after a tidy performance at the Emirates last week.
Nevertheless, they know that nothing is done yet and will still need to avoid any complacency that might come back to haunt them. The Gunners fans will be hoping that Unai Emery’s experience will help them get through, given his past exploits where he won the competition three successive times with Sevilla.
Here are some of the things the North London club will have to do to avoid any shock in Italy.
A strong start is key
Last week, against the same opposition, Arsenal got off to a terrific start something that took the opposition with disbelief. In the first half, they were unrivaled and they unrelentingly threatened to score with every forward move. All the players were on the same level, lively and sharp. The same attitude will be needed at the San Paolo Stadium.
However away games have proved to be the main undoing for Emery’s men this season. They have been out of sorts in most of the matches which is something that must be unsettling the manager at this time. At this stage, there is no room for a poor start if the team is to claim a place in the next round.
Cech must be ready
Despite Cech being sparingly used in the Premier League this season he has flatteringly been trusted between the sticks in the Europa League matches. The keeper has made some staggering saves during this spell but he will be tested to the core against Ancelotti’s team.
Without a doubt, Napoli will be a relentless threat to the Gunner’s defence and this is when they will need their Goalkeeper to rise to the occasion and frustrate any efforts towards him.
The best way to defend will be to attack
At times the best way to defend is to attack, this seems to have been Arsène Wenger’s philosophy during his spell at North London. This can be a vital tactic particularly when the backline in not self-assured. Away from home, it has been really hard for the Gunners to keep clean sheets and they have explicitly relied on the attack to get results. Keeping a clean sheet in Italy is thinkable but will necessitate something very special.
More than one goal for the away team will complicate matters for Napoli as they failed to score at the Emirates. With a positive set up for the visiting club, chances will fall their way but they will have to be clinical to put the ball in the net. The best strategy should see both Lacazette and aubameyang in the starting lineup.
