DBasia.news – A 1-0 win in the Europa League quarter-final second leg at the San Paolo on Friday (19/4) early morning Western Indonesian Time, was enough for Arsenal to get rid of Napoli with a total aggregate goal of 3-0 – previously won 2-0. Arsenal successfully qualified for the last four.
Arsenal became the second team to exit the San Paolo as a winner other than Juventus this season. One single goal in the second leg was created by Alexandre Lacazette from a free kick. Arsenal played maturely at Napoli headquarters.
Not only trying to be effective and dangerous when counterattacking, but Arsenal were also solid in holding up to 20 attempts in Napoli’s shot in vain and only two were on target – and were thwarted by Petr Cech.
“I am proud of the players. We started very well. The first half went well because after scoring goals, we did not give them a chance,” said Unai Emery, Arsenal manager reported by BBC Sport.
“We survived well in the second half. In two matches, we can gladly win against Napoli,” he continued.
Arsenal’s success to the big four cannot be separated from the role of Emery. The Spanish manager is very experienced in the tournament called the second caste after the Champions League. It’s like, if the Champions League belongs to Cristiano Ronaldo, then the Europa League belongs to Unai Emery.
The 47-year-old coach has won it three times in a row with Sevilla – just like Ronaldo in the last three Champions League seasons with Real Madrid. Despite Ronaldo’s trip with Juventus running aground in the Champions League quarter-finals this season, Ronaldo remains the iconic name in the Champions League.
Scoring 126 goals in the Champions League makes him the all-time top scorer and ahead of the closest competitor, Lionel Messi. While Emery tried to reach it for the fourth time this season with a different team.
Emery’s record in the Europa League is pretty good in mid-2009 to 2016 ago. During that time, Emery once reached the quarter-finals, then the semifinals then won three consecutive championships from 2013 to 2016.
After 2016, Emery’s trip increased in the Champions League with PSG (Paris Saint-Germain), but it was difficult to just reach the quarter-finals or semifinals. Now in his first season at Arsenal, Emery tried to lead the club to their first European title – after last winning the European Winners’ Cup in 1994.
In the Europa League, Emery had a record of 26 victories in the knockout phase, won three titles, and made him the only coach to win three times in a row.
“I grew up in this competition, the Europa League, and I think that gave us a great opportunity when we couldn’t play in the Champions League,” added Emery.
“This is an opportunity to make something important, this competition is important for us because it allows us to play in the Champions League next year,” he continued on the club’s official website.
“In the domestic league a lot of tough teams try to be in (the big four), and the Europa League for me and for us now is very important.”
Emery will fight the former club he has trained in the mid 2008-2012, Valencia, in the 2018-19 Europa League semifinals. The first leg takes place on Friday (3/5) at 2:00 a.m. Western Indonesian Time at the Emirates Stadium, before playing the second leg at the Estadio Mestalla on Friday (10/5) at 2:00 a.m. Western Indonesian Time.