Arsenal: 4 talking points from Villarreal Europa League exit

Arsenal are out of the Europa League after falling to a 0-0 draw and 2-1 aggregate defeat to Villarreal at the semi-final stage. Here are the talking points.

One of the darkest days in Arsenal’s history was confirmed after 95 minutes as a weak display full of lethargy saw the side crawl their way to a goalless draw, to conclude four halves of football over two legs that deserved exactly what they got.

The opening 45 minutes was like a training match.

Playing the ball around the back at a tortuously slow pace, Villarreal were able to waltz their way around the pitch without a care in the world, in turn making them confident in their ability to keep a clean sheet on the night.

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Arsenal: 4 talking points from Villarreal Europa League exit as Mikel Arteta oversees Champions League dream come to an end

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang came closest to putting the hosts in front when his half-volley struck the outside of the post, but it didn’t come from any smooth passage of play and instead was merely a kind bounce from a corner kick.

Arsenal had to respond in the second half. They did. For the first time over the tie, they played with energy and speed, flooding the Villarreal box and moving the ball around in fewer touches. Nicolas Pepe flashed an effort wide as the visitors finally looked on the ropes.

Emile Smith Rowe then came within a whisker as his dinked effort flew just beyond the post, but that spell soon died down.

Returning the the tempo of a snail in treacle, Arsenal laboured through the remainder of the game as Villarreal posed a constant threat on the counter attack with Thomas Partey struggling to hold down the midfield on his own.

Still, Aubameyang came closest of all to grabbing a goal when his header struck the inside of the post and into the path of a defender to clear. It was agonisingly close, but would have handed Arsenal passage to a European final they wouldn’t have deserved.

The Stench of Arsenal Fear

Arsenal were scared. Terrified, in fact.

Evidently the scale of the occasion was too much to bear for most of the players, who were shackled by the fear of wrongdoing. Every player took too many touches, each pass a yard or two off target, the runs in behind made without conviction. It wasn’t a side looking to win a European tie, it was one not wanting to lose it.

The wrong mindset for a team needing to score. In many ways, trudging their way to the 80th minute and then throwing the kitchen sink at Villarreal felt like the gameplan. A wholly damaging and poorly executed gameplan that is precisely how you add further layers of doubt to an already crippling mental fragility.

Who sets them up like that? The manager does. Arsenal being scared rests on his shoulders.

Being a coach implies, obviously, that you have to coach ideas into your players. Thought processes. There was no clear thinking on Thursday night.

Woeful Attacking Output

Across 180+ minutes of football, Arsenal had three shots on target against Villarreal. Three.

Broken down, it reads even worse. Their first effort was Pepe’s penalty in the first leg. That came in the 73rd minute. Their next shot on target was in added time of that match, after a defence splitting pass from Partey.

Onto the next leg, one they had to win.

There was just one solitary shot on goal, against a Villarreal goalkeeper who looked desperately uncertain throughout. Aubameyang’s pop shot was straight at him and still he nearly fumbled it into his own net. He wasn’t tested once after that.

In a European semi-final, with the chance to secure a place in a one-off fixture to return back into the Champions League, that was all Arsenal could produce.

"“There were moments in the second half, we hit the post twice, then we had an empty goal to put the ball in the net,” Arteta told the official Arsenal website. “Small margins define these ties and today we came up short.”"

It’s as if he doesn’t think the other team exists. Is Unai Emery not allowed to speak the same way? Will he not point to two huge Gerard Moreno chances as moments where his side could have wrapped the tie up? It’s a detachment that worryingly continues to grow.

Mikel Arteta Makes Risky Move That Backfires

With kick-off approaching, it became apparent Arsenal would stick to their system from the first leg with Granit Xhaka at left-back – Xhaka’s injury prompted the Tierney change – only that an actual centre-forward would play in Aubameyang.

It meant Emile Smith Rowe would assume the position that Dani Ceballos played alongside Partey. On paper, for a side in need of scoring and keeping the pressure on their opponents, the risky, ballsy move signalled the intent.

So where was it on the pitch?

This was a team set up to play in the opposition half, to move the ball around with pace and to tire Villarreal out with constant movement. What transpired was everything playing out in cumbersome fashion a few yards from Bernd Leno. Partey was left with acres of ground to cover in central areas, an element of the game that will have been expected given the two No. 8’s free to roam forward.

That is risk fans wanted to see, but it’s only rewarded with attacking output, of which there was none. In the end it failed so miserably that bringing Mohamed Elneny on to add some security and foundation in midfield would have been the best option in the second half.

Two knockout ties in a row and two experimental approaches, tasking young players with more new roles than their short careers should be asked to shoulder.

Emile Smith Rowe the Only Arsenal Player Who Made a Difference

When the full-time whistle blew, Smith Rowe was inconsolable. He had poured his heart and soul into 90 minutes of football, following on from the same one week prior, both in positions he was unfamiliar with.

He was the last one to leave the pitch on Thursday and the only one who could depart with any credit. At no stage across the entire tie did he stop running, especially at the Emirates. Every loose ball was chased down, every player who could be pressed was charged at and whenever he needed to track back he bust a gut to do so.

Numerous times this season Arsenal have limped their way to defeat or a draw, with the performances of one or two youngsters the only shining lights in the aftermath.

As Arsenal prepare for a different future, one with inexperienced guidance throughout, having the academy stars forming a core for the years to come is what will keep any dreams of returning to the upper reaches of the division alive. Recruitment will be key, as it will be centred around players like Smith Rowe.

The issue now is keeping them. Bukayo Saka will be wanted by the world, Smith Rowe not far behind. Kieran Tierney will have suitors, while Gabriel Martinelli will have offers flooding in from clubs who will play him week in, week out.

That’s perhaps the biggest challenge of all.