OPINION
Arsenal have a huge Europa League quarter-final first leg at the Emirates tonight, with the competition representing a very real route into next season’s Champions League.
The Gunners are fighting that on two fronts this season and could still finish in the top-four of the Premier League.
If they want to get past Napoli though, they will need to score goals tonight. Arsenal’s away record this season is embarrassing – they haven’t kept a clean sheet in the Premier League all season away from the Emirates, and lost 3-1 to Rennes in their last Europa outing, a match they were expected to win.
Napoli are a different outfit altogether and the return leg will be tough. The good news for Arsenal is that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is fully fit after suffering from a sickness that kept him from starting the last two games.
We expect Unai Emery will unleash him and Alexandre Lacazette tonight – the two strikers work well together and they could help build up a decent lead to protect next week.
We don’t think there will be a place in the side for Mesut Ozil, who is still to find his feet in the Emery system. Aaron Ramsey has looked back to his best in recent weeks and should take the attacking spot, with Lucas Torreira and Granit Xhaka in midfield.
Petr Cech should keep his spot in goal for the Europa match, and we think a back-five of Kolasinac, Monreal, Koscielny, Sokratis and Maitland-Niles will try to help him keep the clean sheet that could make all the difference in Italy.
Arsenal have always got goals in them and a clean sheet tonight would see them as big favourites to complete the job next week. A clean sheet is a big ask from Arsenal at the moment, though.
This is the starting XI we expect Emery to put out at the Emirates tonight and it means Leno, Mustafi, Guendouzi, Elneny, Ozil and Mkhitaryan dropping out from the side that was so disappointing against Everton on Sunday:
