Sheffield United vs Arsenal: A perfect dress rehearsal for Europe

That was a tough one to take. After spurning a number of gilt-edged opportunities to put their Europa League quarter-final tie to bed, a late Slavia Prague equaliser forced Arsenal to settle for an enraging 1-1 first-leg draw on Thursday, a result which leaves their prospects of Europa League success hanging in the balance.

Although the concession of an away goal so late in proceedings would have come as a heavy blow for Mikel Arteta’s side, it was perhaps a deserved punishment for their nonchalant performance on the night, and questions will be rightly asked of the role the boss’s in-game management played in the disappointing outcome.

However, the Gunners have to quickly dust themselves off and regroup ahead of Sunday’s trip to Sheffield United, and while the points offered by domestic football may be of little significance given our current league position, a meeting with the Premier League’s basement dwellers provides ideal preparation for next week’s second leg in Prague.

One reason to look forward to this weekend’s fixture would be the prospect of facing a dreadful defensive unit. Despite boasting the division’s fourth-best defensive record at the end of last season, The Blades will head into this game with the league’s third most porous backline, hoping to avoid their 25th defeat of what has been a dreadful campaign.

Sheffield United are an ideal opponent for Arsenal ahead of next week’s Europa League second-leg against Slavia Prague

Meanwhile, Arsenal have failed to win any of their last four games in all competitions and are currently experiencing a confidence crisis in front of goal, exemplified by their extraordinary wastefulness in midweek. The team needs to rediscover their scoring touch if they are to advance in the second leg, and playing against such fragile opposition gives us the perfect opportunity to do just that.

Furthermore, Sheffield United’s conservative style of play will also provide beneficial practice for what lies in store next week. The away goal Slavia Prague grabbed in London will perhaps encourage them to employ a pragmatic approach at the Sinobo Stadium and such tactics have often proved insurmountable for Arsenal in the past.

Arteta has been quite reluctant to select pacey wide players in previous encounters against stubborn opponents, with talents including Nicolas Pepe and Gabriel Martinelli struggling for game time in knockout matches this season. These two changed the dynamic of the game following their introduction on Thursday and this weekend would be the ideal time for them to show the manager they deserve to start against the defensively solid Czech outfit next time out.

With Arsenal’s post-Christmas revival having well and truly come to an end recently, our campaign now once again rests on a knife edge. As was the case for our previous European ties with Benfica and Olympiacos, next week’s trip to the Czech Republic will be the biggest game of Arteta’s managerial career, and Sheffield United provide the perfect rehearsal for the occasion.