Gritty Mkhitaryan making his mark

– Henrikh Mkhitaryan (left) has been at Arsenal for less than two months, but that hasn’t stopped the fiercely-driven star from ruffling a few feathers as he tries to lead the Gunners to Europa League glory.

Mkhitaryan moved to Arsenal as part of the deal that sent Alexis Sanchez to Manchester United in January and the Armenian has already established himself as a key figure in Arsene Wenger’s troubled side.

The 29-year-old found himself frozen out by Jose Mourinho, but Wenger is more appreciative of his qualities and has installed him on the right of his three-man attacking midfield.

Mkhitaryan has scored in his last two appearances, with his maiden goal coming in their crucial 2-0 win at AC Milan in the Europa League last-16, first leg. The return leg is tonight.

After netting again in last Sunday’s 3-0 victory over Watford, Mkhitaryan has done his bit to ease the pressure on Wenger, who is fighting to save his job after another miserable season.

Qualifying for next season’s Champions League is essential to Wenger’s hopes of extending his 22-year reign and, with their domestic form so patchy this year, winning the Europa League is their only realistic way of achieving that goal.

With that in mind, Mkhitaryan’s presence at the Emirates Stadium might be seen as a good omen for Wenger. – AFP