The bad news for Arsenal is that they have just one route, not two, back into the UEFA Champions League next season. The good news is they’re in great shape right now via that lone route. The Gunners will play in Spain tonight, at Valencia, with a 3-1 advantage on aggregate in their UEFA Europa League semifinal tie.
As poor as Arsenal’s road form has been this season, they head into the second leg with not much work to do. In terms of team news, midfielder Aaron Ramsey is done for the year, and thus at the club (he leaves for Juventus this summer) due to a hamstring tear.
Another midfielder done for the year/at the club is Denis Suarez, who has seen his less than eventful loan spell end due to a groin injury. The Gunners will also, obviously, be without their three long term injury absentees- Danny Welbeck, Hector Bellerin and Rob Holding.
That all said let’s take a look at who Unai Emery may select in his first team tonight.
Attack: Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang, Alex Iwobi, Alexandre Lacazette
Midfielders: Lucas Torreira, Granit Xhaka
Wingbacks: Sead Kolasinac, Ainsley Maitland-Niles
Back line: Nacho Monreal, Laurent Koscielny, Sokratis Papastathopoulos
Goalkeeper: Petr Cech
Arsenal FC (up 3-1 on aggregate) at Valencia (UEFA Europa League semifinal Leg 2/2) FYIs
Kickoff- Thursday May 9, Mestalla Stadium 8pm
Chelsea UEL Injury Report and Starting XI Prediction: go to this link
Prediction- Arsenal 1, Valencia 1
With both English clubs now through to the semi-final round, it seems very likely that one of them will win it all. Maybe we could have a London derby final too!
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets:Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” regularly appears on WGN CLTV and co-hosts the “Let’s Get Weird, Sports” podcast on SB Nation.
Banks, a former writer for NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, also contributes to Chicago Now. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram. The content of his cat’s Instagram account is unquestionably superior to his.