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Arsenal came from behind to record a 3-1 victory over Valencia in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final tie at the Emirates Stadium on Thursday evening.
The Gunners started off lethargically and were uncharacteristically shabby in possession in the early exchanges. Unsurprisingly, the hosts were punished in the 11th minute when their defensive indecision was exploited via a set-piece.
From a corner on the left side, the home side failed to deal with Dani Parejo’s deep delivery. The cross found Rodrigo who coolly headed the ball back into the six-yard box where Mouctar Diakhaby pounced to open the scoring.
However, the Gunners hit back instantaneously as they levelled through Alexandre Lacazette in the 18th minute after a flowing move. Seven minutes later, the Frenchman gave Arsenal the lead with a header of his own.
The second period saw the hosts push and probe constantly with them culpable of missing a few chances. Yet, in stoppage time, the Emirates faithful got the goal they craved courtesy a Pierre Emerick Aubameyang volley at the far post.
Here is a look at the five talking points from the game:
#5 The Gunners edge the midfield battle
The previous two weeks have seen Arsenal concede three goals on three separate occasions with their midfield and defence playing a starring role in those catastrophes. Thus, Unai Emery decided to shake things up and started Matteo Guendouzi alongside Granit Xhaka.
Though the Frenchman struggled to make a mark on the game, the Swiss was tidy and controlled the tempo of the match.
After a shaky opening fifteen minutes, Xhaka found his groove and spread passes around the pitch brilliantly. Additionally, he also popped up with an assist when he whipped in a delicious for Lacazette to nod home.
Moreover, the introduction of Lucas Torreira near the hour mark helped the Gunners see out the game with the Uruguayan not allowing the Valencia midfielders to get into a passing rhythm. The midfielder also tracked the visitors’ runners expertly and rarely let them get goal-side of him.
Though the Gunners were helped massively by their opponents’ inability to impose themselves in midfield, the home side certainly looked more accomplished in the centre of the park than recent weeks.
For quite a while, Arsenal has been lambasted for lacking the bite in midfield to catapult itself to major honours. While they definitely didn’t set the world alight against Valencia, they did enough to ensure they now have one foot in the Europa League final.
After all, substance trumps style at this stage of the season and for a change, the Gunners prioritised the former and got the job done.
#4 Arsenal’s wing-backs flatter to deceive
After playing four at the back against Leicester on Sunday, the Gunners reverted to a 3-4-1-2 system for the visit of Valencia. Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Sead Kolasinac took up their roles as wing backs and were expected to provide width on the flanks.
Though the pair did get up and down the wings with regularity, their final ball often went missing. Maitland-Niles had a better game than at the weekend but that isn’t saying a lot considering the Englishman was sent off at the King Power Stadium.
The defender also endured a few wobbly moments at the start with one inexplicable back-pass to Petr Cech quickly springing to mind. Apart from his defensive frailties, he wasn’t able to create anything substantial despite finding himself in promising positions.
Kolasinac, on the other hand, was slightly better than his English compatriot but his play in the final third still left a lot to be desired. Though he provided an assist in injury time, his deliveries into the box before that were pretty woeful.
On countless occasions, the Bosnian overlapped superbly and found himself in good crossing areas. Yet, none of his crosses dovetailed with the runs of his forwards.
While the Gunners eventually had enough in reserve to see off Valencia, a stronger team of the like of Chelsea or Eintracht Frankfurt might not provide Arsenal with so many opportunities to dent them.
Moreover, with Emery having stumbled upon the 3-4-1-2 system as the ideal formation, Kolasinac and Maitland-Niles are going to be accorded plenty of room on the flanks in the forthcoming matches.
Thus, the form of the hosts’ wing-backs would be a concern for the Spaniard as they gear up for the final sprint of the season.
#3 Valencia’s defensive tactics plunge them deeper into trouble
For the first time since taking over at Valencia, Marcelino decided to adopt the three at the back system and opted to play Diakhaby as the holding midfielder.
The opening quarter of an hour saw the visitors take the game to their hosts with their change in formation causing the Gunners problems.
However, as soon as they scored, the Los Ches retreated into their shell rather than exploiting the hosts’ deficiencies. Inevitably, they invited pressure upon themselves and the Gunners thrived.
Lacazette quickly put the home side on level terms before giving them the advantage in the space of seven minutes. As the first half wore on, Valencia was content on making the odd foray up-field without really portraying any purpose.
As for the second half, it saw the visitors completely shut up shop and defend with eight men behind the ball. The above tactic allowed Arsenal to switch the play from side to side with ease.
The Gunners’ incessant attacking pressure finally paid off in stoppage time when Aubameyang shrugged off the attention of Jose Gaya to fire home.
Since his appointment as Valencia manager, Marcelino has preferred to deploy an intense attacking brand of football. Yet, in the biggest game of their season, they adopted a different style, only for it to backfire.
And the circumspect approach ultimately led to the visitors’ defensive boat creaking just a tad more than the Gunners’ rear-guard.
#2 A game of two halves for Alexandre Lacazette
The summer of 2017 saw Arsenal splash the cash for a certain French striker who had made a living making the net bulge in France. However, after being thrust straight into the frenetic Premier League, he laboured through the season with several questioning the enormous fee paid for him.
However, a season later, that same French striker is one of the first names on the Gunners’ team sheet.
Lacazette has looked a man possessed under Emery this term and has been on hand to pull Arsenal out of trouble many a time. On Thursday, it was no different.
In the 18th minute, the Frenchman adroitly turned his marker and played an inch-perfect through-ball for Aubameyang. His Gabonese strike partner held the ball up efficiently and laid it on a plate for Lacazette to finish.
The striker added to his tally minutes later with his poacher’s instinct on display. Having gotten goal-side of Facundo Roncaglia, the Frenchman delayed his run a touch before accelerating into space. In the process, he created time for himself to head past Neto.
However, with a hat-trick up for grabs, Lacazette was guilty of spurning several opportunities in the second half.
To start off, he missed a header from eight yards out when he failed to make contact. A scuffed finish when eyeball to eyeball with Neto followed next while his deflected shot was also saved by the Brazilian keeper.
Yet, it would be extremely naïve to judge the striker based on the chances he missed after the break.
Throughout the game, he harried and harassed the Valencia defenders into mistakes. Moreover, he was a constant menace with his movement as his propensity to drop deep and then spin in behind left the visitors’ defence clueless.
Over the years, the Gunners’ strikers have been accused of misfiring at crucial junctures. Yet, with Lacazette in the ranks, those criticisms are on the brink of being silenced.
As for people questioning his transfer fee last summer, maybe the Frenchman is justifying his price tag.
#1 Unai Emery’s love affair with the Europa League rages on
Unai Emery was brought on board by Arsenal to replace their long-standing manager, Arsene Wenger in the 2018 off-season. The Frenchman’s last years in charge had seen the Gunners stagnate and subsequently miss out on the Champions League.
Thus, the Spaniard’s primary task for the 2018-19 term was to ensure Europe’s premier club competition was back at the Emirates in 2019-20.
However, the Gunners have slipped and stumbled in the Premier League and currently find themselves fifth in the league. At the moment, they are a couple of points adrift of Chelsea with only two games left. Hence, qualification for the Champions League courtesy the top four seems a distant possibility.
However, Arsenal has another avenue to get into the UCL namely the Europa League. Fortunately for them, they now boast of a manager who knows a thing or two about the said competition.
Emery catapulted himself into Europe’s elite with a troika of Europa League triumphs with Sevilla. In the process, he became the first manager to lift the trophy in three consecutive seasons. And it seems he has brought his nous of the tournament to North London.
Throughout the season, Arsenal has looked a disaster waiting to unravel in the Premier League. But, somehow they’ve managed to paper over those cracks in Europe.
At times against Valencia, the Gunners looked all at sea. However, they found the extra gears when it mattered and eventually outwit their Spanish counterparts.
Though the tie is far from over at 3-1, the Gunners would surely back themselves to get through to the final in Baku.
Over the course of their European campaign, Arsenal has been scratchy on numerous occasions. Yet, like one of those fabled love stories, Emery has found ways to keep his relationship with the Europa League intact.
After all, that is what the greatest fairy tale love narratives teach us. And the Spaniard and the Europa League is certainly up there with the best.
