Arsenal separating Europa League from Premier League key to success

Arsenal sit in a precarious position at this point in their season, as well as in their time with Mikel Arteta. While what is going on the KSE is an entirely different matter, there is little doubt that too sits precariously in its own right. With that understood, What the Gunners do moving forward will be crucial in determining how their season looks next year.

While England and the domestic campaign seems a bust, the European hunt for silverware remains alive and well, and this remains a hunt that Arsenal must figure a way to win; the consequences are massive regarding this potential innovation moving forward.

This will affect personnel choices, salary considerations, the transfer market and the clubs roster size to name but a few considerations hanging in the balance with the last matches of the Europa League and Premier League.

While in the former competition, Arsenal have looked reasonably solid up to this point, the same can’t be said for play in England. The team has a real possibility of finishing in the territory of ninth, tenth, eleventh or even twelfth – how will they be able to continue to separate the inspired play of Europe, from the languishing form back home?

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Villarreal offer a challenge Arsenal have yet to face in Europe

While the Gunners have played and defeated those opponents ahead of them in Europe, they have yet to be pushed by a team that, from top to bottom, has some real quality and fluidity about them. Villarreal are such an outfit and as they are coached by Unai Emery, the most successful manager in the history of this competition, earning this victory will be no easy task.

The likes of Paco Alcacer and Samuel Chukwueze pop out at you first, yet the club is deep and fully engaged with their boss, which players at Arsenal may be guilty of not doing during Unai Emery’s era on north London. They beat opponents soundly in Europe, and do not seem to be bothered by very much on the pitch; yet in Spain, things are difficult in a way that the Gunners might appreciate.

This Spanish side too has issues at home, and without winning this tournament, will have a difficult time finding themselves in Europe next season. The two clubs, Arsenal and Villarreal are of course connected in more ways still as well; Unai Emery formerly coached in north London, and nearly won this competition with that side in his final full season in charge of the team.

His replacement, Arteta, now has a large task in front of him. Slay Villarreal to get to the finals, where your predecessor, your current coaching opposition, lost before, so that you can have an opportunity to win and secure Champions League competition next season. Defeating Emery to get there is simply perfect drama to add to the potential occasion, yet he manages tough teams and this side is no exception.

As this crucial two legged tie commences, it is necessary to look at the backdrop at home, in the domestic league, because volition can be killed in more ways than one in football.

England and the Europa League are another matter for Arsenal

While the historical torch of success is being carried through Europe, to this point at least, the same can’t be said for the Gunners regarding the Premier League. While they languish behind their big rivals and traditional competition, the poor results must continue to wear on the team’s own morale as well.

Drawing to a much improved West Ham team was disappointing yet not the worst result either; how the team was handled at home against Liverpool was utterly embarrassing, and while the Gunners took care of Sheffield United, that’s not saying a whole lot either. Drawing to Fulham before the defeat at home to Everton secured this recent domestic run of form as less than stellar.

Yet during this stretch, European football has seemed separate from the form at home. With just matches remaining in Europe and England alike, it will have to remain this way for Arteta and Arsenal to have a real shot at taking something positive out of what many might feel is a season of progress, yet littered with wasted possibilities.

I think Arteta needs more time, more transfers, and more trust.

Those will all be harder to come by should they not have European football next season. No one is blind to this reality. Yet the results that one team can conjure on the pitch is a different story. The team will have to conjure the best performances they can moving forward, and if they can eke out a win against Emery and Villarreal, before meeting up against either Roma or Manchester United, there will be a real sense of possibility after the loss that the Emery-led Arsenal faced in 2019.

Lifting this European trophy would be massive. It would likely cover many of the flaws at Arsenal, superficially and otherwise, for at least a bit longer. While things have seemed to be coming undone across the club, winning would be a cause for joy, celebration, and would certainly mean progress moving forward.