Not to steal a phrase, but Mikel Arteta’s at the wheel for Arsenal.
It may not be the Champions League, but yesterday’s win against Chelsea in the FA Cup final not only gifted Arsenal a trophy, but also gifted them an ensured place in next season’s Europa League campaign.
Of course, Mikel Arteta will want to make amends for seeing his side slip late on Olympiacos as they bode farewell to the competition. Winning the competition would also be another route into the Champions League, should the Gunners fail to qualify through their Premier League finish.
However, winning the competition is not the only attractive part of this qualification. Excuse the cliche saying, but it really will be taking part that matters for Arsenal. Allow me to explain.
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Over the last few seasons, the Gunners have always seemed to play their younger players in this competition. It was the case under Arsene Wenger and the case under Unai Emery. It’s how the likes of Reiss Nelson, Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Bukayo Saka have become consistent features in the starting XI.
Whether this continues under Mikel Arteta remains to be seen as, of course, he is not familiar with the Europa League as much. However, one would assume that he will use the opportunity to deploy some players that are on the cusp of first-team action, with Gabriel Martinelli and Eddie Nketiah both springing to mind.
It will also help Arteta in his goalkeeper conundrum, with Emiliano Martinez impressing since Bernd Leno‘s injury. The more game time he has to analyse both of them and give them a fair amount of minutes, the better.
Of course, the aim for the Gunners will be to win the competition. It’s an easier competition to win than the Champions League and may even be easier than a Premier League top-four finish. A European trophy is the only thing that’s missing from Arsenal’s illustrious cabinet, so if Arteta can win one in his first full season in charge, he will surely go down in the club’s folklore.
How far do you think Arsenal will progress in the Europa League next season?