Pain in the Arsenal
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Arsenal Vs Atletico Madrid: 5 key players to watch — Stage is set

By Andrew Dowdeswell

LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 05: Mesut Ozil of Arsenal during the UEFA Europa League quarter final leg one match between Arsenal FC and CSKA Moskva at Emirates Stadium on April 5, 2018 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 05: Mesut Ozil of Arsenal during the UEFA Europa League quarter final leg one match between Arsenal FC and CSKA Moskva at Emirates Stadium on April 5, 2018 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images) /
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Arsenal, Antoine Griezmann
LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 26: Antoine Griezmann of Atletico Madrid celebrates after scoring his sides first goal during the UEFA Europa League Semi Final leg one match between Arsenal FC and Atletico Madrid at Emirates Stadium on April 26, 2018 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images) /

2. Antoine Griezmann

Arsenal didn’t need to be warned of the unique threat that Antoine Griezmann posed. But if they did, they got it in worryingly clinical and emphatic style.

Griezmann was extremely quiet for large portions of the first leg. With only ten men, Atletico were playing extremely defensively, happy to relinquish possession, shifting Griezmann into a wide role that enforced far more defensive responsibility on him than his usual, free-roaming attacking midfield position.

Nevertheless, it took just one lofted long ball for Griezmann to make Arsenal and their hapless defending pay. He will again by Madrid’s most potent attacker. He is their primary source of attacking creativity and threat. Hanging onto his coattails is not easy, but it is exactly what Arsenal must do, and do so much better than they did a week ago.