Unai Emery doesn’t quite have Arsenal playing the way they should but he’s getting there…
Arsenal took on Valencia last night in the Europa League semifinal. It was the second leg, in which they were away from home. The Gunners already held a 3-1 advantage victory from their previous tie at the Emirates Stadium.
Initially with Arsenal being away from home, alarm bells started to ring. It would take a lot for Valencia to come back from the two goal deficit but it looked likely they would when they scored early. However, the following goal from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang calmed the nerves of everybody involved with Arsenal and it set the tale of the tie. The North London side won the match 2-4, with an aggregate score of 3-7.
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This match got me thinking. I am by no means a reactionary Arsenal fan but with all the bad results recently, I couldn’t help but ponder whether Unai Emery is the man to take Arsenal forward. This train of thought will always be embedded into the minds of the Gunners, but the reality is, there’s no need to worry.
Unai Emery has something that Arsene Wenger didn’t, and no, I’m not talking about his charming Spanish accent or his ability to zip a coat. I am of course talking about his ability to perform at the highest level. This time last season, Arsenal fell short to Atletico Madrid and bade farewell to the competition under Wenger.
Emery is a specialist in European competition, though. Let’s not forget that he won the Europa League on three consecutive occasions with Sevilla, marking himself in the hall of fame of the competition.
I know, I know. He didn’t do too well in the Champions League with Paris Saint-Germain but that is a hurdle Arsenal will have to overcome next season should they win the Europa League to guarantee themselves a ticket.
Arsenal will face Chelsea in the final in Baku. It will be an interesting fully English tie which will complement the Champions League final well. Don’t brush either side aside, both managers have points to prove.
Do you think the Gunners will overcome Chelsea in the Europa League final?