Europa League 2018-19: 3 reasons why Arsenal defeated Valencia

#2 Emery's tactics

Valencia v Arsenal - UEFA Europa League Semi Final : Second Leg

Arsenal don't have a great record against Spanish teams, especially when playing in Spain. Last season, Arsene Wenger was tasked to face Atletico Madrid in the semi-final of the same competition. The Madrid team beat Arsenal at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium.

This time around, things were different for Emery. Although his side conceded first at the Mestalla Stadium, he got his players to stick to the gameplan.

Rather than opt for a more defensive side, Emery insisted on attacking Valencia - and that paid off.

It mattered little how many goals Cech let in. What mattered the most was how many they themselves could score. As long as the Gunners scored more, the former Paris-Saint Germain manager would be satisfied.

If you look past what went wrong domestically in the Premier League, Emery does seem to have a way of getting through tough competition in the Europa League. Just the way he planned things out for the game against Napoli, his tactics worked again but this time, and Valencia were at the receiving end.