Arsenal Vs Napoli: Just don’t be stupid

Arsenal travel to Napoli with a 2-0 lead for the second leg of their Europa League quarter-final on Thursday night. To qualify they just have to do one thing: don’t be stupid.

Arsenal have been handed a terrific opportunity. When the draw for the Europa League quarter-finals was initially made, many feared what may come of Unai Emery’s team. Facing a Napoli side that sat comfortably second in the Serie A and only had the Europa League to focus on, the challenge was great for an inconsistent team.

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

But the first leg could not really have gone any better. A two-goal lead at half-time, one of the best performances of the whole season, a cohesive team understanding and executing the manager’s plan to perfection, and, most importantly, a clean sheet.

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That puts the Gunners in a wonderful position going into Thursday night’s second leg. The trip to Naples will not be easy, not by any stretch of the imagination, especially given Arsenal’s away form this season. But Emery and his players know that if they can nick one goal, Napoli must score four to prevent them from reaching the semi-finals of the Europa League for the second year in succession. This is a unique chance.

Further, they looked extremely dangerous in the first outing. Even in the second half, when Emery clearly instructed his team to sit a little deeper and look to hit Napoli on the counter-attack, knowing the Italians would push for that crucial way goal, there were plenty of openings created. These openings were not taken advantage, which still leaves the tie in the balance somewhat, but they prove that there will be chances the second time around.

What will cost Arsenal, if anything at all, is their mental state. An early goal could be disastrous if it causes a mental capitulation, as this squad has been known to suffer from. Similarly, mindless defensive errors could derail the progress and pattern of the match. Even in full control, it takes one mistake for the whole match to crumble.

And this is where the players must prove that what Emery worked on in his first season has been taken hold of. Last year, under Arsene Wenger, it was a silly Laurent Koscielny mistake in the first leg that allowed Antoine Griezmann to snatch an away goal for a ten-man Atletico Madrid. In the end, that was the crucial difference between the two teams.

Sadly, those kind of errors were the norm under Wenger. The fortitude and focus of his players were continually called to question. Rarely were those questions answered. This year, the team has looked substantially more stable under pressure, as proven by Monday’s 1-0 win over Watford. But there are still some lingering doubts about the winning mentality in the biggest of games.

Arsenal should qualify for the semi-finals of the Europa League on Thursday night. I think that is what makes many fans so nervous. It is when this team should achieve something that they often fail to. But if they perform as they can and as they have done recently, all will be fine. The only thing that can cause downfall? Themselves. Just don’t do anything stupid. Please.