Arsenal Vs Manchester City: The Europa League is looming

After Sunday’s loss to Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final, Arsenal must again face the impending champions in the Premier League on Thursday. The Europa League is very much looming.

Manchester City are an excellent football team. They might, in fact, be the best team in the Premier League era. Remodelling how the sport is played, Pep Guardiola’s side have demolished the competition, rolling through the Premier League season without even a whisper of doubt or uncertainty. They proved it again on Sunday.

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Arsenal travelled to Wembley in Sunday’s Carabao Cup final hopeful of at least challenging the mighty City. Few thought that they would actually win, but the chance to win a trophy, which is only compounded by the unpredictability of a 90-minute football game, could have thrown up a surprise. It didn’t.

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City eased past the Gunners without much trouble whatsoever. They were gifted goals, unpressurised completely, and were allowed to command, control and dictate from the midfield, something that they have shown an imperious ability to do so throughout the season. As soon as City scored the first goal, it never even looked as though Arsenal might claw their way back into the game. Good news, then, that Arsene Wenger must now prepare his team to do it all over again in a matter of days.

On Thursday night, Arsenal host City at the Emirates, this time, in their return Premier League fixture. A quick perusal of the Premier League table will model the importance of this fixture. A win is imperative. It is also, as Sunday demonstrated perfectly, extremely unlikely.

Even with a game-in-hand, Wenger’s side sit eight points behind Chelsea in fifth, ten points behind Spurs in fourth, 12 points behind Liverpool in third, and 14 points behind Manchester United in third.

In all reality, it is nigh on impossible to conceive of such a lacklustre and distracted team overcoming such deficits with just ten games remaining (after Thursday night’s game-in-hand). Jose Mourinho even stated that Arsenal must win on Thursday to keep their top-four hopes alive. And he’s right.

With the extensive trouble that this club is in in the league, it is becoming an increasing reality and sensibility that they should turn their attentions to the Europa League. A draw against AC Milan in the last-16 is perfectly winnable, although not quite as nice as Wenger may had hoped for. But if he was to commit all of his resources to the competition, there might not be another team that can better him.

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And Mourinho would know about shifting priorities midway through a season. He did so last season with Manchester United. Perhaps it’s time for Wenger to do the same. With the Manchester City debacle only at the end of part one, the looming Europa League is looking increasingly rosy.