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Arsene Wenger will be managing in one of his last few European matches this Thursday as Arsenal prepare to face Atletico Madrid. The French manager has never won a European trophy with Arsenal and will be eager to get his hands on the Europa League trophy before he leaves his position.
Wenger's side enter the first leg knowing that they must not concede any goals.
During the weekend game, the first-choice backline warmed up ahead of the match and partnered David Ospina as Petr Cech missed out due to a hip injury. Alexandre Lacazette and Danny Welbeck were also given a run out to prepare for the upcoming major home match.
Unfortunately, Arsenal lost Mohamed Elneny halfway through the match. Skysports mentioned that the midfielder rolled his ankle and things were not that serious. However, Wenger contradicted the report by saying that his injury did not look good, during the post-match press conference. The Egyptian midfielder is set to miss this Thursday's match as a result of the injury.
Arsenal have won six of their European games this season. Here is how they could line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation against Atletico Madrid as the Gunners attempt to advance to the final to be held in Lyon.
Goalkeeper: David Ospina
Ospina looks far more confident than Cech between the sticks. He was forced into a few brilliant saves over the weekend at the Emirates Stadium and can be proud of his performance.
The Colombian has a long-pass accuracy of 83% and makes an average of 5 saves per game. He has played in most of the Europa League fixtures thus far with the exception of the recent matches against CSKA Moscow. In eight appearances, Arsenal have kept 3 clean sheets and conceded just seven goals.
Right-back: Hector Bellerin
Bellerin is the first-choice right back for the Gunners. Presuming there are no injuries, he should be starting against Atletico Madrid. The full-back can be expected to be heavily involved in keeping Madrid's forwards quiet throughout the match and not allowing their wingers to cross the balls into the box.
Center-back: Shkodran Mustafi
Mustafi struggled in the early stages against Marko Arnautovic in the weekend. Even though Arsenal will not have to deal with Diego Costa who misses out due to a hamstring injury, the Gunners will have to be prepared to face Antoine Greizmann.
The German defender has been preferred as the partner of Laurent Koscielny as Wenger values experience in games. In addition, the center-back is also strong in physical challenges and willing to throw himself into tackles. It will not be the first time Mustafi faces Atletico Madrid as he has played against them while at Valencia.
Center-back: Laurent Koscielny
Vice-captain Koscielny almost led his team to the perfect start against West Ham, however, his header went some distance away from the corner of the goal. The senior defender looked sharp and will surely be in the starting line-up against Atletico.
The Frenchman has stated that his team ought to do Wenger proud in the remaining days of his tenure as the Arsenal manager. The most crucial thing while playing the first leg at home is to preserve a clean sheet. Koscielny has to be on his toes and fast to react when danger lurks around Arsenal's penalty box.
Left-back: Nacho Monreal
Monreal broke the deadlock over the weekend meaning he has now scored 5 goals in the Premier League this season. The left-back will surely be busy on Thursday night but his consistent performances for the team means that he deserves to start against Atletico Madrid.
Although he is not known for scoring headers, he can move around quickly and get away from the defenders marking him.
Center-Midfielder: Granit Xhaka
Xhaka has improved by leaps and bounds towards the end of the season. His long-range shots have often forced goalkeepers into saves and his passing accuracy of 86% means that he is efficient in getting the ball to his team-mates and spreading the play.
As the deep-lying midfielder, it will be crucial for him to protect the backline and quickly move the ball forward to the attackers when there is a chance. When Xhaka does not play for the team, the Gunners look weak in possession and uncertain of how to distribute the play. The Swiss midfielder has gradually established himself as an integral player in the team.
Center-Midfielder: Aaron Ramsey
The Welsh midfielder has now been involved in more goals in all competitions than any other Arsenal player this season. Ramsey has excelled in his role thus far. He offers a threat during his team's attacks and is always eager to extend his help to his other team-mates up front. In four Europa League matches, Ramsey has scored four goals and assisted twice. Because of his superb form, he is likely to be given the nod ahead of Jack Wilshere.
Right-wing: Alex Iwobi
Henrikh Mkhitaryan is preferred in this role but the Armenian just returned to training and Thursday's match may come a bit too soon for him. Iwobi failed to impress over the weekend and was heavily criticised for his poor performance against West Ham. The winger has to pull up his socks against Atletico Madrid.
Central Attacking Midfield: Mesut Ozil
Ozil missed the previous two matches as Wenger chose to rest him against Newcastle United and the German was ill for the match against West Ham. Without Ozil, the Gunners struggled against Newcastle and could hardly find a way past the defenders.
Against the La Liga side, Wenger will certainly be hoping that his most creative midfielder will be available to play. It will be critical for Arsenal to get a positive result in the first leg.
Left-wing: Danny Welbeck
The Englishman offers pace in the attack. Even though he may not be the sharpest shooter for Arsenal, he gives defenders a lot of problems with to his physical strength and pace. Welbeck has gained confidence from regular playing time and the goals that he has scored recently.
He has netted three times in eight appearances in the Europa League prior to the semi-finals. It will be a great boost for him since he has now learnt to work with Lacazette. Both strikers will look forward to supporting each other on Thursday night.
Striker: Alexandre Lacazette
Lacazette scored a brace against West Ham in the final few minutes of the match. He will be compared with Griezmann who will play in the opposing team and both French forwards will be eager to add their names to the scoresheet.
Lacazette has scored 13 times in 30 Premier League appearances in his debut season. He has also netted twice in two Europa League matches. With six goals since returning from injury, Lacazette is starting to live up to his price tag and putting previous failures behind him.
Substitutes:
Petr Cech, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Calum Chambers, Eddie Nketiah, Jack Wilshere, Henrikh Mkhitaryan
