Europa League: Arsene Wenger and Arsenal must take inspiration from 2006 to overcome tricky Atletico Madrid

To put it plainly, the 2017/18 season has not gone as per plan for Arsenal. The Gunners had finished a disappointing 2016/17 by winning the FA Cup, but knew that the next season had to be better, as the club looked to return to the Champions League. Despite the optimism, they were never really in the picture to finish in the top four, let alone contest for the title, leaving the Europa League as their only way to salvage a lost season and get back into Europe’s premier club competition. A competition that most teams do not want to be a part of — especially the ones used to participating in the Champions League — the Europa League is now Arsenal’s Holy Grail, at least for this season. They have seen teams win the trophy to move into the better competition previously, both Sevilla and Manchester United had to win the tournament to qualify for the Champions League, as their league position was just not good enough. Now, they are in the same situation, but in a tough spot currently, as they have to negotiate a dodgy second leg against Atletico Madrid. [caption id=“attachment_4455197” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Arsenal players take part in a training session. AFP[/caption] The first leg showed everyone what both teams are capable of — Arsene Wenger’s men dominated the game, impressing with their slick passing and movement of the ball, but were wasteful in front of goal and their defending left a lot to be desired, as they conceded a late goal from a long ball to 10-man Atletico. Diego Simeone’s side, on the other hand, showed that they thrive in adverse situations, defended for their lives and used their threat on the counter-attack to grab a crucial away goal, typifying their emphasis on efficiency. As they go into the second leg, both teams will approach this match differently, with the Spanish side having multiple options — they could choose to play defensively from the beginning and just look to counter, or they could look to attack their opponents from the outset, grab a goal and then shut up shop, relying on their powerful defence to get them through. The English side, will, however, look to start cautiously, and build towards scoring an away goal, as that would give them the advantage, while they try to keep the home side at bay. Despite Wenger being the more experienced manager, it would not be unfair to say that Simeone has much more experience in these situations in late knockout round stages in European competitions and hence, should have his team better prepared to execute and get the result they need. Wenger was last in this situation in 2006, when his side went all the way to the final of the Champions League, going down to Barcelona. That Arsenal team knew how to play in tough situations, had the ability to grind out a result when needed, and were as capable of taking a punch as they were of landing one. Their win over Real Madrid in the Round of 16 in 2006 is the story the Frenchman should use to inspire his team ahead of their trip to Madrid this season. After getting drawn to face Los Blancos in the first knock-out round, the Gunners went to Madrid and got a 1-0 win thanks to Thierry Henry’s goal, while they held the Spanish side to a 0-0 draw to home. That 2006 side lost to Barcelona in the final but had impressed everyone with their wherewithal, belief and ability to grind results out when needed, all while they produced some scintillating football. However, it speaks volumes of the club that Arsenal haven’t made the final of a European competition ever since and it would be poetic to it during the last few days of Wenger’s spell as manager of the club. The Rojiblancos, on the other hand, are ready to take this game by the scruff of the neck and will start the match in their characteristic manner, hungry and driven, with the aim of landing an early knockout blow. Simeone has his team trained for every possible situation, with the attacking players knowing what they need to do, while the midfielders control the pace of the game. When midfielder Thomas Partey revealed that they had practised playing with 10 men ahead of their first leg encounter with Arsenal, it became apparent that the Argentine manager does not leave anything up to chance and wants his team to be prepared for every eventuality. The home side, whose record at the Wanda Metropolitano is enviable, are desperate to end the season with silverware to continue their development as they aim to ensure they keep pushing Barcelona and Real Madrid to become the top team in Spain. Diego Costa should be back in the starting eleven and his partnership with Antoine Griezmann will pose a potent threat to the Arsenal backline. Koke and Saul Niguez would be crucial to the Spanish side’s chances of getting to the Europa League final, as their ability to control and dominate the opposition will reflect in the final result. Arsenal should have Henrikh Mkhitaryan back in the team and his energy and ability to create goalscoring opportunities will complement Mesut Ozil, providing Alexandre Lacazette with the chances to score and put the Gunners in the driver’s seat. The game is heavily tilted in Atletico’s favour, even with Simeone’s touchline ban, as they are just too well-drilled to let his absence affect them. Wenger will have to draw inspiration from his last trip to Madrid and try and get his players to play the way he believes will get them through. This game will be his 250th European game and he would love to have the chance at a 251st, knowing that he could win his first European trophy with Arsenal and say goodbye in the perfect way, by helping them return to the Champions League.