Arsenal Vs Napoli: Goodbye without improvement

Arsenal host Napoli in the Europa League quarter-final first leg on Thursday night. They can say ‘goodbye’ to the competition if they do not improve from Sunday’s loss to Everton.

April will determine the success of Unai Emery’s first season as Arsenal head coach. Tasked with the dual goals of progressing the team as he lays down foundations for his tenure and reclaiming Champions League status, Emery has managed to put the club in a position to achieve both targets.

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However, there is still a long way to go, and he and his players still have a whole lot of work to do, especially considering Sunday’s defeat to Everton, which now puts them in a precariously balanced fourth place in the Premier League.

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If Emery’s team cannot earn a top-four finish, however, that does not leave them without Champions League football next season. They can also earn a place in Europe’s elite competition by winning the Europa League, the quarter-finals of which commence this week. Arsenal host Napoli in the first leg of their quarter-final tie. It is an extremely difficult draw and a match that they cannot afford to lose given their away form this season.

Sadly, though, if they play anything like they did against Everton at the weekend, then they can wave goodbye to any hopes of winning the Europa League. Even with a second leg still to come, the depravity of the display would leave them with an unassailable hole to dig out of. Napoli would not hesitate to slit the throat, if offered the opportunity. And that kind of performance would put it on a plate.

The scoreline may have only been 1-0, but the story of the game was very different. Everton created a slew of excellent opportunities, especially on the counter-attack in the second half. Bernard, Gylfi Sigurdsson and Richarlison all had openings that should have been converted. Per UnderStat, Everton had an Expected Goals of 2.66. Arsenal’s came in at just 0.2.

And the statistics are backed up by the film. There was a complete and utter lack of control on the match. Emery was forced into two invasive substitutions, drastically changing the formation at half-time, such was the pressure his side was under. The attack was thoroughly stifled, there was no creativity or progression in possession, and unwillingness to evade the high press with a more direct approach.

All in all, Sunday was one of the worst performances that I have seen from Emery’s Arsenal, even if they did only concede one goal. It was lacklustre, in the very worst sense of the word. And if they play like that on Thursday, they will have no chance in trying to stay with a ruthless Napoli.

Emery’s side has shown an inability to bounce back from poor performances this season. They have tended to be more competitive in the big games, especially at the Emirates. But the improvement they must make this week is massive. Let’s hope they are capable.