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Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal future may depend on beating Atletico Madrid after his team received the worst possible draw for their Europa League semi-final.

Striker Alexandre Lacazette had suggested after Thursday’s 6-3 aggregate quarter-final win against CSKA Moscow that there was a feeling within Arsenal’s squad that winning the Europa League could keep Wenger as manager, and the players must now achieve that feat the hard way.

Diego Simeone’s Atletico are Europa League favourties after twice reaching the Champions League final and also winning La Liga over recent seasons. There was a theory that Arsenal’s best chance would be to avoid them until the final, which is played only over one leg, but they will instead host Atletico at The Emirates on April 26 before the second leg in Madrid a week later.

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It is Arsenal’s first European semi-final since the 2009 Champions League and they are aiming to reach their first final since losing 2-1 against Barcelona in the 2006 European Cup final.

Wenger noticeably ignored a pre-match question about whether he would continue as manager if Arsenal do not win the competition and, with CSKA Moscow very close at one stage on Thursday to overhauling a three-goal deficit, there was also sense that the future of the club’s longest-serving manager was on the line.
Arsene Wenger
Arsene Wenger ignored questions on his future before Arsenal's second leg against CSKA Moscow Credit: AP

Atletico had their own problems on Thursday in only progressing 2-1 on aggregate against Sporting Lisbon and they were also eliminated from the Champions League earlier this season from a group containing Chelsea and Roma. They are currently second in La Liga, 11 points behind Barcelona but four ahead of Real Madrid.

Arsenal have always either finished in the Premier League's top four or won a trophy in each of Wenger’s 21 completed seasons but, with the club 13 points off Tottenham in the Premier League, that record will come to an end if they do not triumph in Europe.

Asked about Wenger and the Europa League, Lacazette said: “It can be the way to keep the manager because he did so much good for the club. It will save our season because in the Premier League we are not doing well."

Despite Arsenal’s big wobble in Moscow - Wenger admitted that the the team were “not at the races” in falling 2-0 behind - goalkeeper Petr Cech felt that their response in the last 20 minutes showed some encouraging qualities.

The match changed when Arsenal went to five at the back and then Danny Welbeck scored a crucial away goal, before Aaron Ramsey’s late equaliser ensured a 2-2 scoreline that told little of the scare that had been endured. Arsenal have now won six and drawn one of their last seven matches.

“The first goal changed everything because they started feeling they had an outside chance to come back,” said Cech.
Europa League
The draw for the semi-finals of the Europa League in full Credit: Getty Images

“The best part of our game was after we conceded for 2-0. I thought we showed a lot of maturity in the last 20 minutes because we were under a lot of pressure but we played our best part of the game.

“We put ourselves in a very bad position and we actually found our way with a good calmness and I really like that. We found our feet and deserved to score at the end.”

Cech acknowledged that winning the Europa League would save the season and, despite the worst Premier League season campaign Wenger, said that it would show a progression following last year’s FA Cup win.

“There is a big responsibility for everyone because we know with the position we are in the league,” said Cech. “Someone would have to have a big meltdown in the last seven games to give us a chance to sneak into the top four. We know this is our chance to book our Champions League spot but, not only that, you play a European competition for a cup and for a cup the club has never won. This is another opportunity to add a great trophy to the cabinet.

“You need to keep the progression. You keep that not only on the pitch but by winning things. A club of Arsenal’s size and history belongs in the Champions League.”