Pain in the Arsenal
Fansided

Arsenal Vs Atletico Madrid: 5 things we learned – Era has ended

By Andrew Dowdeswell

MADRID, SPAIN - MAY 03: Arsene Wenger, Manager of Arsenal reacts during the UEFA Europa League Semi Final second leg match between Atletico Madrid and Arsenal FC at Estadio Wanda Metropolitano on May 3, 2018 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
MADRID, SPAIN - MAY 03: Arsene Wenger, Manager of Arsenal reacts during the UEFA Europa League Semi Final second leg match between Atletico Madrid and Arsenal FC at Estadio Wanda Metropolitano on May 3, 2018 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 5
Next
MADRID, SPAIN – MAY 03: Danny Welbeck of Arsenal and Henrikh Mkhitaryan of Arsenal look dejceted during the UEFA Europa League Semi Final second leg match between Atletico Madrid and Arsenal FC at Estadio Wanda Metropolitano on May 3, 2018 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)
MADRID, SPAIN – MAY 03: Danny Welbeck of Arsenal and Henrikh Mkhitaryan of Arsenal look dejceted during the UEFA Europa League Semi Final second leg match between Atletico Madrid and Arsenal FC at Estadio Wanda Metropolitano on May 3, 2018 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images) /

4. It’s the Europa League again

This is perhaps the most important and significant consequence from the 2-1 aggregate. It is something that I had initially overlooked or forgotten, but with their failure to win the Europa League and finish in the top four in the Premier League, Arsenal will now have to play in this godforsaken tournament again next year.

That will actually have quite a knock-on effect in the coming years. Could a new manager say no because there is no Champions League football? Will the likes of Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang be happy to be without Champions League for another season? Will prospective be signings convinced to sign for a club out of Europe’s elite for the second successive season?

These are all questions that will be answered in due course. I do not know how it will affect this club in the coming months and years. But, certainly, it will not help. It will force Arsenal to take a more long-term view and it will throw out the schedule next season again. Not good. Not good at all.