Arsenal can win Europa League and secure top six – but will they?

Taking revenge on Olympiacos regarding the shock upset of last year’s Europa League competition was, I’m sure, pleasant on some level for some of the individuals involved with the match last season for Arsenal. Yet were this to be the crowning achievement of the season, then we could state that the club’s priorities are out of whack.

No, this victory across two legs was simply a stepping stone as the Gunners find themselves in the quarterfinals now, with an easier draw and potential semi-final matchup than they could’ve ever hoped for. The club must take advantage of this, they must soundly defeat Slavia Prague, before facing the winner of Villarreal vs Dinamo Zagreb.

In that matchup, Mikel Arteta may face the man he succeeded at the Emirates, fellow Spaniard Unai Emery, and while Emery was unable to guide Arsenal to this title there is little doubt that Emery is a master of this tournament – having won it on numerous occasion previously with Sevilla.

But we are getting ahead of ourselves. Slavia Prague will be no easy out at this stage of the competition. They handily took care of Rangers, and despite the grotesque circumstances surrounding Glen Kamara at the end of the match, will offer stout competition across two legs to a team that desperately needs to win this competition for European play in the coming season.

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Professional performances can see Arsenal on through

When the Gunners take to the pitch in just under a weeks’ time, they will have had time to rest, followed by a match to get back into the swing of things as they say. This first matchup is not only a chance to jump out to a lead against a team that will be played again a week later, but should also be considered as a chance to further the momentum of the year in its entirety.

While Arsenal don’t appear to be locks by any stretch of the imagination to make it back to Europe without winning the current Europa League championship, especially after the West Ham setback right before international break, the final months of any campaign are jam-packed with surprises that no one usually can imagine. Manchester City appear safe by my estimation, but surely two through six are open for debate.

While Manchester United, Chelsea and Leicester appear safer than not, West Ham remains a serious question, as do the outsiders like Tottenham, Everton, Aston Villa and Arsenal. Therefore, winning each and every game only improves upon the foundation that is already being built at the club.

Yet to do this, either in Europe or England, the entire team will have to play winning, positive football.