Arsenal vs Villarreal: Unai Emery’s tactical habits to die hard?

Unai Emery Tactics May Help Arsenal in Semi-Final Second Leg

It’s a brave (most likely foolish, in all honesty) person who predicts what is to come in the second leg on Thursday. All we can do is work off history and repetition, which suggests that Emery will come into this game sitting back and playing on the break. Arsenal struggling to break down deep sitting sides at home may aid this thinking.

Can he shirk the craving for change?

Opting to field two strikers as he had done for most the season with Samuel Chukwueze doing the job on Granit Xhaka the entire world foretold, the obvious choice would be to repeat that feat once more. Had the Swiss been rested against Newcastle – which he bizarrely wasn’t – then there could have been some uncertainty over where he’d play on Thursday. Given he was at left-back once more, continuity is surely on the cards in midweek.

Should Emery opt to drop Alcacer from his team and go with one up top, which fans’ experiences of the former boss suggest he might, it will play into Arsenal hands.

Granted time to push them back and sustain pressure – the latter point would be greatly aided by Xhaka’s return to midfield – will give the hosts the impetus they need to score the minimum of one goal it may require.

It will suit Arsenal especially with a centre-forward back in the fold, but also means that Hector Bellerin will need to come into the side to provide some sorely needed pace to cover in transition.

Emery is a master of this competition. Highlighting a weakness of his and eyeing how it could benefit Arsenal is one thing, but he knows what it takes to win matches on this stage. Equally, he knows how to throw games away, and even if he reverts to one striker and sits deep looking for moments to break out, it will still require Arteta getting his approach right and the players executing the gameplan.

However, having already thrown his former side a lifeline, there is every chance he could do so again. How crucial could that Nicolas Pepe penalty prove to be?