Revenge for Unai Emery as Arsenal fall short in Europa League semi-final

SO CLOSE: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang can only watch his late header cannon off the post as Arsenal’s Europa League journey came to a shuddering halt against Villarreal at the Emirates Stadium tonight. Picture: Adrian Dennis/AFP via Getty Images

Arsenal 0 Villarreal 0 (Villarreal win 2–1 on aggregate)

Unai Emery gained the ultimate revenge on Arsenal by ending the season of the club that sacked him and sending Villarreal into their first ever European final at the expense of his successor.

The pressure is now Mikel Arteta and the Arsenal board who must decide whether or not to properly back their inexperienced manager.

Captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang headed a great late chance against a post when all Arsenal needed was a 1-0 win to reach a Gdansk final against Manchester United on the away goals rule.

Arsenal ultimately got what they deserved over the two legs — a big fat nothing, apart from a late penalty to keep the tie alive in Spain last week.

After that they needed the sort of good start that saw then storm to victory against Sparta Prague in their quarter-final second leg.

Instead, they suffered an injury setback in the warm-up as Granit Xhaka hobbled out of the action with a muscle injury before a ball has been kicked.

The chance to start with Kieran Tierney would be seen as a boost in normal circumstances, but the Scotland international left-back soon looked short of breath after just a few training session on his return from a relatively serious injury. Xhaka limped past so near me in the press box I could smell his aftershave and he clearly looked in some discomfort.

Back on the pitch error prone Arsenal keeper Bernd Leno was nearly caught unaware by a speculative effort and tipped the ball spectacularly over the cross bar.

Emery clearly felt the best form of defence was attack and an away goal for his men in bright yellow would finish Arsenal off.

Arteta cut an anxious, prowling fidgety figure in his technical area to the left of the press box while Emery paced up and down, hands in pockets.

Arteta had more reason to look concerned, though as Villarreal looked comfortable. They had the best of the opening period and came close to taking the lead from a Dani Parejo free-kick.

Aubameyang, fit enough to start as captain after recovering from malaria, tried to spark his side into life with a 29th minute volley that clipped the outside of a post.

The Spanish side suffered another blow to their confidence when Samuel Chukwueze, who had been keeping Tierney occupied, went off on a stretcher and was replaced by 18-year-old prospect Yermi Pino.

It did little to impact the effectiveness of Villarreal’s pressing, though, and Arsenal lacked the intensity, with the occasional exception of Pepe and Smith Rowe, to even test visiting keeper Geronimo Rulli. His poor handling from an Aubameyang effort and the rest of the match showed it was worth exercising him at any opportunity.

Arteta would now need to give the half-time team talk of his short managerial career to save Arsenal’s season. They only needed one goal and a clean sheet but they needed to stop treating it like a testimonial and more like a European semi-final.

He had them first out for the restart and they looked livelier. Barely 60 seconds had gone when Tierney scooped a a pass into Pepe’s path and the Ivorian lashed a shot narrowly wide. A great run and cross from Hector Bellerin soon after had Rulli flapping again and Smith Rowe missed a big chance.

Now we had a match and Villarreal had an excellent opportunity to break the deadlock through Gerrard Moreno after the out of sorts Thomas Partey was caught in possession. Leno then tipped wide from a Pino shot as the game entered a defining final 30 minutes.

Arsenal had an edge to their game now but simultaneously looked vulnerable to a counter attack.

Arteta decided it was time to ready Gabriel Martinelli. The ineffective Martin Odegaard made way. The clock was ticking and Alex Lacazette was summoned from the bench after two more chances came and went in the form of Rob Holding headers.

Emery stationed all eleven players deep in their own half and Willian was told to join Lacazette who had been waiting for five minutes to come on.

Arsenal thought they had scored when Aubameyang headed a Bellerin cross against a post with his last touch of the match. It was a good attempt but he could and should have scored. Ten minutes to go soon became five minutes of added time.

Tense does not do it justice, but Villarreal’s celebrations did as their entire playing and coaching staff swarmed on to the pitch in jubilation at the final whistle.

Arteta made for the changing room double quick while his dazed and confused players trudged dejectedly off the pitch.

ARSENAL: Leno 5; Bellerin 6 (Nketiah 90), Holding 6, Mari 5, Tierney 6 (Willian 80); Saka 6, Partey 5; Odegaard 5 (Martinelli 66), Smith Rowe 6, Pepe 6; Aubameyang 5 (Lacazette 80).

VILLARREAL: Rulli 5, Mario 6, Albiol 7, Torres 6, Pedraza 6, Parejo 7, Coquelin 6, Trigueros 6, Gerard 5, Alcacer 6 (Bacca 72), Chukwueze 6 (Pino 30).

Referee: Slavko Vincic (SVN).