The stakes are high with more than just a result and a place in the final but also a step towards a brighter next season for Arsenal. The game is anybody’s to take after the 1-1 ball game in the first leg of the Europa League semifinal.
Will this Gunners side be the third English team to reach a European final in two years, or are they going to fail when they meet at Atletico Madrid later this evening? The wait for a title is one game away.
How will Arsenal do considering their form away from home? Are they capable of replicating the form that saw them through to these late stages in the competition? Or, are they to repeat the form that saw them fail miserably to United over the weekend?
As mentioned before, more than just a place in the final lies on this match. Respect, a backdoor entrance to the Champions League maybe, a great goodbye to a sad Arsene Wenger, and even an exciting prospect for their next campaign.
Madrid must be smiling at Arsenal’s away stat and relishing the home tie. Arsenal could have, and should have taken the advantage to Wanda Metropolitano stadium. It was theirs for the taking.
They had all the chances imaginable and got punished for not taking them. You could look at Antoine Griezmann’s late leveller as a final-saving goal.
Who’s your money on tonight – are you English or are you Spanish?
Martin Keown on Arsenal: ‘Arsenal have won four of their five Europa League away games. They must focus on that, not their poor domestic record.’
Atletico will be a man heavy when they meet Arsenal later. Diego Costa was pictured in full training and is said to be an important figure if he features tonight. He missed last week’s action after just returning from injury.
Wenger and his men had a bit of luck with them playing 10 men for 98 percent of the previous match. The Argentina left out a good few key players in their match over the weekend, where they achieved a narrow victory without their star players. Antoine Griezmann, Saul Niguez, goalkeeper Jan Oblak and defender Jose Gimenez, were all rested for tonight’s big semifinal.
Next: Liverpool win 7-6 on aggregate
Arsenal in return, was a lineup short of a few first-team players as well. However, they weren’t fortunate enough to get an easy opponent and lost a well-contested match 2-1, to United at Old Trafford. If the result over the weekend was inescapable – then the manager’s decision to leave them out was the right one.
Both have fresh squads with only Sime Vrsaljko and Diego Simeone missing from the game through suspension. Simeone’s not worried about the Wenger final edition and Wenger wants a special swan song.
This should be a great follow up to last night’s special Champions League semi between Roma and Liverpool.