Follow all the action as Arsenal take on Unai Emery’s Villarreal in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final.
The Gunners produced an emphatic performance against Slavia Prague in the previous round to reach the final four, despite their volatile swings in form, with Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe both playing starring roles. The pair both made their debuts during Emery’s fraught tenure in north London and will be hoping to advance one stage further and lift the trophy in Gdansk next month after falling at the final hurdle under the Spaniard in 2019. Mikel Arteta’s reign has rarely proved brighter so far, but Emery insisted Arsenal should be patient with his compatriot. “It’s a question of patience. I think it’s a perfect marriage,” Emery said. “Arteta is a great manager and you can see a clear identity of a gameplan.”
Emery has enjoyed a successful tenure at Villarreal, although the club are still facing a battle to clinch European football next season. In Gerard Moreno, though, they have one of the world’s deadliest, if often undercelebrated, forwards. The two sides have met twice previously in Europe, with Arsenal coming out on top on both occasions. Follow all the action live below:
