Arsenal
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Arsenal out to win it for Wenger against the mighty Atlético

Mujtaba Mehdi·
Arsenal
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Despite the poor domestic results, Arsenal want to win it for their coach…

The North Londoners are currently going through a rough patch in the Premier League. However, they have a solid chance of reaching the Europa League final in Lyon. Arsenal’s manager, Arsene Wenger, recently announced his retirement from the club after 22 years of service. This may not be the perfect farewell for the Frenchman but The Gunners are looking to win the Europa League for Wenger as a tribute.

Arsenal looked short of motivation during the whole season which explains the poor domestic record, but they have a solid chance of winning the Europa League if they can triumph at the Wanda Metropolitano. This is the only way Arsenal can qualify for next year’s Champions League as well – and even line up for the European Super Cup in the process.

Atlético boast a strong defensive record in the Europa League having conceding no goals in their previous three matches at home. Arsenal would certainly need to score at least once and avoid conceding against Los Rojiblancos in order to qualify. Wenger can be the difference for The Gunners as they need a perfect performance and some added impetus to win the match.

Welbeck, Lacazette, and Özil need to step up their game as they play the most important match of their season. However, Atlético will be pushing for a goal and Griezmann will be extremely difficult to handle for Arsenal’s shaky defence. Any margin of victory will be enough for the Madrid side to progress to the final, while a 0-0 draw will also see them through on away goals. Wenger’s final visit to Old Trafford as Arsenal manager did not prove fruitful either, and being presented with a trophy by Sir Alex Ferguson was essentially his only consolation.

The return-leg will see both teams face off in Madrid on Thursday. There is good news for Arsenal as Simeone was sent off in last week’s encounter and is facing a two-match touchline ban. As a result, El Cholo is prohibited from communicating with any of his players during the match. His absence from the dugout could be vital for The Gunners and Arsene Wenger – but only if they manage to capitalize on Atleti’s potential errors and grind out a solid performance.