Arsenal vs Benfica: A leader must emerge in Europa League

As this protracted car crash of a season trundles on, Arsenal is finding new ways to frustrate and disappoint an already beleaguered fanbase. The 1-0 defeat to Manchester City over the weekend was wholly unsurprising, but the tepid manner in which Arsenal rolled over for their opponents was particularly infuriating. One element of the loss that really stood out to supporters was the lack of leadership on the pitch.

The scoreline may not have clearly reflected the gulf in quality between the two sides, but the league leaders were never under serious pressure. There was a clear lack of impetus and urgency from the north London outfit, which has led to substantial criticism of both the players and manager. Specifically, club captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang came under fire for a noticeably less than stellar performance.

The Gabonese hitman has had a season to forget, with a poor goal return and personal problems that have understandably hampered him off the pitch. Yet, after a scintillating hat-trick against Leeds, many fans had hoped to see the striker back to his best just in time for the business end of the season. Unfortunately, a true upturn in form has eluded the center forward who can often look detached and ineffective when he isn’t scoring goals.

Aubameyang has never been a traditional Premier League captain in the mold of Tony Adams or Patrick Vieira – a vocal leader of men who will impose their will on a match. Throughout his time at the club, the 31-year-old has led with charisma, effervescence, and most importantly, goals. Now with him struggling to find form, the Gunners desperately need someone else to step up in his absence.

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Arsenal vs Benfica: A leader must emerge in Europa League round of 32 second leg clash in Athens

Perhaps the only silver lining of this dire season has been the emergence of Bukayo Saka. The young England international has grabbed the spotlight with a slew of sparkling performances during this campaign. It’s slightly ridiculous to look towards a 19-year-old kid as the leader of the team, but as things stand Saka is far and away Arsenal’s most impactful player.

In fact, this will most likely be Saka’s eighth straight start when Arsenal clash against Benfica in Athens this Thursday. Having scored the crucial away goal in the first leg, Saka may in fact be the man to exhibit leadership in what is undoubtedly the most important game of the season.

Besides Saka and Aubameyang there are few other options for fans to get behind.

David Luiz has proven to be a liability at crucial moments during his Arsenal tenure but the experienced Brazilian could conceivably put forth a storming performance at the back. His probable center-back partner Gabriel Magalhaes suffered through a slight slump after his strong start in England, but this pivotal second leg could be a statement game for the former Lille man.

It wouldn’t be at all surprising if Granit Xhaka put in a man-of-the-match performance, but the Swiss midfielder could just as easily bring about calamity.

With supporters barred from stadiums, the entire fan experience has migrated online. There is a serious lack of an emotional connection between the club and the fanbase. With the entire season riding on a victory, Thursday’s match in the Europa League is an opportunity for a leader to step forth and make the difference.