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What a rollercoaster ride it has been for Arsenal this season! The fact that they are now the only team to beat Valencia at home alongside Getafe this season shows us how incredible the improvement has been for Arsenal under Unai Emery. They certainly do not play the same beautiful brand of football as they did under Arsene Wenger, but they have been more efficient and clinical this season as compared to the last.
A 7-3 aggregate score for the Gunners saw them seal an impressive win against Valencia last night, and Emery’s men are ready to face their city rivals Chelsea in Baku, which would be an all English final.
Valencia is a team who rarely concedes a goal or two at home, but Arsenal’s deadly duo of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette made sure they kept zero records for Valencia to be proud of, scoring four past the Spanish side at Mestalla. So let’s take a look at the four conclusions as Arsenal knocked out Valencia from the Europa League.
#4 The 3-man defense formation suits Arsenal best
Unai Emery has tried plenty of tactical variations since day one and he still looks a bit unsettled with which formation should he continue with for the rest of his Arsenal career. According to me, it has to be the 3-4-1-2 formation. This not only helps Arsenal to be strong and composed at the back but also helps Emery squeeze in two of his best players in the starting eleven; Aubameyang and Lacazette. Neither of the players likes to play as wide wingers, and therefore, this formation suits Arsenal the best.
Coming back on the defensive part, the Gunners had to protect a 2-goal lead against Valencia in the second leg; a lead they earned in the first leg, and though Arsenal conceded two, the trio of Laurent Koscielny, Sokratis, and Nacho Monreal did a commendable job in keeping Valencia at bay. Plenty of blocked shots, tackles, interceptions, and a couple of mouth-watering goals sum up the night for Arsenal.
#3 Valencia were outclassed in every department
With Tottenham and Liverpool completing incredible comebacks against their respective opponents, Valencia fans had hope and the Gooners were on the tip of their toes due to the fact that Arsenal's defence has not been anywhere close to top class this season, as they have shipped in nearly 50 goals in the league alone. But last night was not the same.
The likes of Sokratis, Koscielny and Monreal were at their best, making in crunch blocks and refraining themselves from committing to risky tackles. They displayed patience, confidence and the experience Arsenal's centrebacks possess came in handy for Unai Emery and co yet again in the Europa League.
On the other hand, Aubameyang and Lacazette ran absolute riots at Mestalla! The Gabonese bagged his first ever hattrick for Arsenal, and it could not have come at a better time. The midfield duo of Granit Xhaka and Lucas Torreira were not any less, as they made sure Parejo and Coquelin get the least touches on the ball.
It was a mesmerizing overall performance by Emery's men last night!
#2 Auba and Laca are ooze class!
It would be criminal to think that Auba and Laca are not the best strikers across Europe currently. Time and time again, the incredible duo has proved to be clinical and remarkable whenever called upon. And the fact that both these players, despite being natural number nines, play out of position and yet have outperformed the likes of Sergio Aguero, Roberto Firmino and Harry Kane puts me in awe.
Arsenal does not have quality wingers in their ranks. Alex Iwobi and Henrikh Mkhitaryan have unfortunately never been good enough for Arsenal and Emery does not seem to be impressed by the latter's performances, though he gives Iwobi enough playing time to prove his critics wrong.
Aubameyang has accepted the wide role presented to him and Lacazette under Unai Emery have adapted to a deeper role which sees him drop back plenty of times in the 90 minutes and create chances for his teammates. The Spanish manager has been smart in managing Auba and Laca's positions, and the fact that they are great friends off the pitch helps them accept the roles offered, which sometimes means one of them to have to take the bench.
If Arsenal get back into the Champions League next season, a major chunk of the credit should go to Aubameyang and Lacazette for their brilliant performances week in week out for their current employers.
#1 Is this the rise of a new Arsenal era?
Unai Emery was given a minimum of £70 million to reinforce the injury-prone and an average Arsenal squad, and the gaffer took the challenge in style. It's the business end of the season now, and Unai Emery has led Arsenal to their first European final since 2006. This is exactly what you call improvement.
He has done miracles with this squad, and the only reason why Arsenal could not make it to the top three in the Premier League is lack of squad depth. The Gunners do not have ANY reliable defenders in their ranks, and players like Mohamed Elneny, Lichsteiner, Mkhitaryan, Carl Jenkinson, etc have never impressed the manager.
Unai Emery should be given a hefty sum to spend in the summer if the Arsenal board wants the club fighting for the prestigious domestic and European trophies from next year. Arsenal fans might finally be able to experience the success and domination they missed out since the last decade or so.
