Arsenal: Per Mertesacker Europa League claim not unjustified

Per Mertesacker has claimed that his former team, Arsenal, can win the Europa League. Looking at the evidence, his claim is not unjustified.

The Europa League hasn’t been particularly soft on the Gunners, presenting them with tricky Round of 32 and Round of 16 draws. While on paper, Arsenal were primed to succeed, they lost the opening legs of both the fixtures against BATE Borisov and Rennes respectively, before turning it around at the Emirates Stadium.

Find the latest episode of the Pain in the Arsenal Podcast here — Napoli brilliance; top four chances

It’s been certainly a tough run to the quarter-finals. But now they are here, suddenly, the competition has opened right up. Arsenal defeated Napoli 2-0 in the home leg, putting them in an excellent position to progress to the semi-finals with the second leg coming this Thursday.

More from Pain in the Arsenal

• 3 standout players from 1-0 victory over Everton
• 3 positives & negatives from Goodison Park victory
• Arsenal vs PSV preview: Prediction, team news & lineups
• 3 talking points from Arsenal’s victory at Goodison Park
• Mikel Arteta provides Gabriel Martinelli injury update after Everton win

And while newly appointed head of academy Per Mertesacker warned his former team about a difficult second leg against Naples, he backed the Gunners to go all the way in the Europa League. Mertesacker, when asked about his former team’s chances of winning the Europa League by Goal.com, said:

"“Definitely. The first leg was great, but in Naples – the city, the fans, the special atmosphere – it can quickly go in the other direction. We are glad that we did not concede a goal. Nevertheless, the chances for the semi-final are good – and we have to make up for that after last year’s elimination.”"

It is a bold but justified claim.

Last year, as many know, the north London outfit reached the same stage of the competition, eventually knocked out by Atletico Madrid in the semi-final. Atletico would then go on and win the title. But the pedigree of going far in the competition was there. And the team is even better prepared this season, in large part because of their manager.

Unai Emery has a wonderful love affair with the Europa League. He won three consecutive titles with Sevilla. That success was a key reason why Paris Saint-Germain hired him in 2016. And that mastery of the Europa League has continued this year.

His team dominated the group stages, finishing with 16 points from six games, winning five and drawing just one. They are also yet to concede a goal at home, a sensational record. And if they can see their way past Napoli in the second leg, Emery will lead his side into a semi-final field from which they will be the favourites. Chelsea, a team they have already dispatched this season, will be their closest challengers.

Arsenal currently have the momentum with them, having won four of their last five fixtures and with a 2-0 lead against Naples, the Gunners start as the favourites in the second leg. Perhaps Mertesacker is onto something, after all.