LONDON • Unai Emery's first season in charge at Arsenal is in danger of imploding unless the Spaniard can again prove himself to be a Europa League specialist and cover up an alarming dip in the Gunners' Premier League form.
Arsenal have lost four of their past five league games to slip down to fifth, with their chances of a top-four finish depending on favours from Chelsea or Tottenham.
However, winning the Europa League would also offer a much-needed return to the Champions League next season after a two-year absence.
Emery is a specialist in Europe's second-tier club competition, winning it three consecutive times with Sevilla from 2014, and he is also well acquainted with today's semi-final opponents, Valencia, who he managed between 2008 and 2012.
He did a stellar job at the Mestalla, leading Valencia to three consecutive third-placed finishes behind the dominant Barcelona and Real Madrid sides.
"They are a very good team with good players. It will be a difficult match," Emery said of Valencia. "We will continue, we will not look at the (league) table, the Europa League is a big motivation for us."
However, doubts remain over his ability to lead the Gunners back to the heights attained by former boss Arsene Wenger in the earlier years of his management.
The same defensive issues appeared to have returned in recent weeks as Arsenal conceded three goals in three consecutive league defeats for the first time since 1967.
Emery has also yet to find the right balance with his two star forwards Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang rarely playing together.
Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri, meanwhile, has challenged his players to finish a turbulent season strongly when they travel to Eintracht Frankfurt in the other semi-final today.
"We are fighting for the top four and in the semi-finals of the Europa League. We have done a good season," the Italian insisted.
"Now we need to take two very important targets."
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, DPA
ARSENAL V VALENCIA
Singtel TV Ch110 & StarHub Ch214, tomorrow, 2.55am
FRANKFURT V CHELSEA
Singtel TV Ch112 & StarHub Ch213, tomorrow, 2.55am
More than just Ronaldo! Portugal could be ready to dominate after claiming first-ever Nations League And just by being there, Ronaldo puts fear in the heart of the opposition. Andre Silva
Ronaldo and Silva shine as Portugal dominate best Nations
Soccer Football - Women's World Cup - Group A - Norway v Nigeria - Stade Auguste-Delaune, Reims, France - June 8, 2019 Norway's Guro Reiten REIMS, France (Reuters) - Ada Hegerberg was not needed as Norway kicked off their women's World Cup Group A campaign with a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Nigeria on Saturday.
Football: Hegerberg-less Norway canter past Nigeria - CNA
Socceroos bounce back with solid win over Palestine as they comfortably contained a Palestinian outfit forced to come out of their shell to chase the game. bounce back with solid win over
Palestine 0 Australia 3: Maclaren and Mabil help Socceroos
Chelsea Boss Sarri Demands More From Hazard. he's more an individual player than a leader," said Sarri on Wednesday. In an interview with France Football, this week Hazard again raised
Liverpool took control of their Champions League quarter-final tie with Porto as goals from Naby Keita and Roberto Firmino secured a 2-0 first-leg win at Anfield on Tuesday. The Reds raced into
Naby Keita, Roberto Firmino give Liverpool 2-0 win over Porto
Barcelona have one hand firmly on the La Liga title after winning 2-0 at Alaves on Tuesday, leaving them 12 points clear at the top of the table with four games to play. Should second place Atletico Madrid lose at Valencia on Wednesday or against Real Valladolid on Saturday, Barcelona will be champions before they face Levante that evening.
Football: Derby shocker with Villa's Grealish attacked by Birmingham fan but he gets last laugh with winner Related Story Football: Call for clubs to be held liable for abuse
WATCH: Aston Villa's Jack Grealish scores winner after being
Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is determined to keep Paul Pogba and Marcus Rashford at Old Trafford, saying the pair are vital to his plans of building a team "worthy of the
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer urges 'vital' Paul Pogba and Marcus
CARDIFF: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer praised his Manchester United players after they gave him the perfect start to his reign with a 5-1 victory at Cardiff just days after Jose Mourinho was sacked. Former United striker Solskjaer had just two days to prepare his players for his first match as caretaker
Football: Solskjaer unimpressed as 'sloppy' United avoid
worldsportstale.com/soccer/football-solskjaer-unimpressed-as-sloppy-united-avoid-banana-skin/
Football: Solskjaer unimpressed as 'sloppy' United avoid banana skin 03/30/2019 Comments Off on Football: Solskjaer unimpressed as 'sloppy' United avoid banana skin MANCHESTER, England (REUTERS) - Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer labelled his team "sloppy" after they laboured to a 2-1 Premier League win over Watford at Old
Football: Snowflakes? Mourinho reveals fragile ego of mystery
worldsportstale.com/soccer/football-snowflakes-mourinho-reveals-fragile-ego-of-mystery-man-united-star/
Football: Pogba deletes cryptic post of him smiling after Mourinho is axed ; Football: Muscling up has weighed Man United's Lukaku down all season ; Football: Solskjaer praises buccaneering Man United players after stylish win
Football: Solskjaer makes dream start as Man United thrash
Guardiola: Manchester City have raised the Premier League bar
NYTimes.com Site Map. For a comprehensive guide to our site, please see the Site Index.
Subscribe to Read Articles from February 1978 Part 3 - Site
0 comments:
Post a Comment