Preview: Villarreal vs. Arsenal - prediction, team news, lineups


Serial Europa League winner Unai Emery welcomes old foes Arsenal to the Estadio de la Ceramica for the first leg of Villarreal's Europa League semi-final clash on Thursday.

The Yellow Submarine defeated Dinamo Zagreb 3-1 on aggregate to advance to the final four, whereas the Gunners swept aside Slavia Prague 5-1 over two legs.



For all of his continental silverware achieved with Sevilla, Emery could not replicate his spate of successes while in the Arsenal dugout, as the Spaniard oversaw a 4-1 defeat to Chelsea in the 2018-19 Europa League final before his ill-fated stint came to an end.

However, the former Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain boss has reinvigorated his managerial career with Villarreal, who have won 11 of their 12 Europa League games this season so far, including a perfect record of six wins from their six home games.

Villarreal have also managed to find the back of the net at least twice in all six of those continental triumphs and ended the Dinamo Zagreb journey in the quarter-finals, but they welcome Arsenal to Spain on the back of two successive league defeats to lowly Alaves and title-chasing Barcelona.

A red card to Manu Trigueros did not help matters against the Blaugrana, but the damage had been done by that point as Antoine Griezmann's brace cancelled out Samuel Chukwueze's opener, and that defeat condemned Villarreal to their third loss in five across all competitions.

Despite a downturn in league form, Emery has unsurprisingly masterminded a stellar run on the European stage as Villarreal bid to claim a first ever Europa League crown, but the last time they made an appearance in the semi-finals was back in the 2015-16 season, when another English side in Liverpool sent them packing.

Arsenal should get a good result in this match.
But don't bet on it o!

Hope Chukwueze performs well.

Another case of Spain England, England dominating europe

Villarreal 5 - 0 Arsenal

Chukwueze with hattrick

Damnnn niggarrrr
Thursday Thursday football
I dey shame for arsenal

We are Arsenal

Unai Emery Day

#TrueGooner...COYG!!!..Get rid of The Yellow Submarines and let's get to the final,beat ROMA and get to next season's UCL... ...

Villarreal for d cup....they are on form, have the Europa tactician called unai emery n spainish clubs knows how to win it...wat else do u wana hear?

Villarreal na work over for us na Manchester united be our problem.

Villarreal 2-5 Arsenal. It has been like this

paulolee:
Villarreal for d cup

Go finish the bottles for your head if u no wan get sense

Btts & Over 1.5

The Yellow Submarines... Arsenal go collect

Arsenal always have there record... but my boi (Chukwueze) wont allow me to support Gunners

kenzysmith:
Villarreal na work over for us na Manchester united be our problem.

una dey comot today self

come on arsenal.

this cup is our own, we must go to champion league next season.

win this and we can rejoice because the cup is ours.

away from ball.

Jesus saves

Match wey Arsenal don lose already....

Up Villarreal

IkengaRussell:
#TrueGooner...COYG!!!..Get rid of The Yellow Submarines and let's get to the final,beat ROMA and get to next season's UCL... ...

All these your predictions na Symptoms of Malaria

Thursday night boys.

Na so one Arsenal fan no let me watch match in peace on Tuesday night.

He could not even applaud Chelseas effort due to jealousy.

Only heaven knows when Arsenal will make it to champions league again.

We are winning.

IkengaRussell:
#TrueGooner...COYG!!!..Get rid of The Yellow Submarines and let's get to the final,beat ROMA and get to next season's UCL... ...

d

WibusJaga:
Arsenal should get a good result in this match.
But don't bet on it o!

Hope Chukwueze performs well.

There is Tierney to put him where he belongs.

Easy game for Gunners

chrisxxx:

There is Tierney to put him where he belongs.

Tierney is injured xaka is playing left back

arsenal on a good day will beat any team, I just hope they turn up tonight

A very tough game. For gamblers in the house, both teams will score.

kenzysmith:
Go finish the bottles for your head if u no wan get sense

the coach unai Emery is d.master of europa cup and also Spanish teams av a good record in dt cup....wat else do u want to hear?