Emery 2 – Arteta 1

The Gunners have dug themselves into a hole in their semifinal tie with Villarreal. Unai Emery’s squad manhandled the Gunners for most of the match and jumped out to a 2-0 lead after only 29 minutes. Only a Pepe penalty kick in the second half gave Mikel Arteta’s squad a chance to redeem themselves in the Emirates Stadium on Thursday.

So, here we were, in probably our most meaningful match to date when the manager decides to go without a striker in his starting XI. Aubameyang, Nketiah and Martinelli all watched from the bench.

The Gunners have not done this all season, so why start now, in this match? Was there a method to Arteta’s madness? If there was, it sure didn’t work.

The match ended with 10 v 10 on the pitch, and a 2-1 win for Villarreal on the scoreboard.

With the season winding down, Arsenal is 10th in the Premier League, and fighting for their lives in the Europa League.

Unai Emery clearly won on Thursday. The former Arsenal manager outsmarted his replacement at The Emirates. Can he do it again on Thursday? Let’s hope not.

No cheers today.

Gunner1953