WENGER WON’T RISK BIG GUNS AHEAD OF TOUGH TESTS

FOR the final time this season, Arsenal’s Europa League match this week will be overshadowed by their domestic commitments. Arsenal host Ostersunds tonight in a tie which they already lead 3-0, WRITES JACK PITT-BROOKE.

Everyone’s attentions will ultimately be on Sunday, when Arsenal go back to Wembley to play for the Carabao Cup against Manchester City.

That is why Mesut Ozil and Aaron Ramsey are not being rushed back tonight, although they are in contention for Sunday. Arsenal do not want to overcommit resources to a dead game on Thursday when they have a very live one three days later. Especially given City have been resting since getting knocked out of the FA Cup on Monday night.

But it will not always be like this. After Sunday, whatever happens at Wembley, and presuming that Arsenal manage to avoid disaster on tonight, then the Europa League will become Arsenal’s only way of saving their season.

They are still stuck in sixth in the table, eight points and plenty of goal difference behind Chelsea – with Tottenham far nearer – and so the chances of them qualifying for next season’s Champions League are extremely slim.

So once this last-32 is navigated, and Arsenal move into March’s last-16 and April’s quarter-finals, there will come a point when they have to take this competition more seriously than anything else. That happened last year with Manchester United, when Jose Mourinho he focused on the Europa League, beat Ajax in the final and ensure they made it into this season’s Champions League.

Soon enough Wenger will have to do the same.

Arsenal v O’sunds, BT Sport, 8.05