News

Frustrating action must act as an example as Arsenal chase Europa League glory – Opinion

|

The Europa League last-16 stage threw up some real shock results as Arsenal escaped their own possibility of an early exit at the hands of Olympiacos.

3-1 up from the away leg in Athens, Mikel Arteta’s men produced what could well be labelled as their worst performance of the season as they were beaten 1-0 at home to the Greek giants.

Youssef El-Arabi was on hand to deliver yet more pain as he scored for the third consecutive game against the Gunners, however, with lesser repercussions.

Can Arsenal win the Europa League?

Yes

No

In all honesty, the team were lucky not to be on the end of a surprise like Tottenham Hotspur, who were dumped out by Croatian side Dinamo Zagreb.

But, there was a worrying theme from Thursday’s result which sent out a stark warning to Arteta ahead of the remainder of Europe’s second-tier tournament, complacency.

Arsenal’s ability to switch off when they hold a commanding lead is an incredible worry especially given how the club were handed a warning last season.

You’d have thought after getting knocked out by Olympiacos in the round of  32 stages only a year ago, the players would’ve performed better. However, it seems as though complacency runs deep in the veins of the players as they displayed a complete lack of hunger and desire.

With Manchester United, the toughest outfit left in the competition, Arsenal have a great chance of going all the way this time around. But, there needs to be a tougher mindset than what was shown during their dismal loss this week.

In other news, Gareth Southgate must protect this Arsenal player from serious injury.

Share this article

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *