Gunners face defining game of season against Benfica

Mikel Arteta and Arsenal are facing potentially the defining game of their season when they take on Benfica in a Europa League last-32 second-leg.

With three months of the season remaining, defeat could end not merely Arsenal’s European run, but also their bid for a Champions League return.

They are in the bottom half of the Premier League, 11 points off the top four. If that were accompanied by an early European exit, it would be enough to render their season a failure.

A 1-1 draw with Benfica last week leaves them on a knife edge as winning the competition gives them another avenue onto European football’s top table. “For us, it’s a final,” manager Arteta said. “It’s a big season and a really important [game] mentally and confidence-wise. It’s going to dictate if we’re in another competition or not for a few more weeks. It’s a really tough opponent.

“It’s a Champions League team who have been playing in these types of games for many years with a manager with huge experience.”

The fact Arteta rested Emile Smith Rowe and David Luiz for Sunday’s defeat to Manchester City suggested his priorities have shifted.

“Mathematically everything is possible,” he said. “You have to try so hard. We’re going to do that in the league for sure. The Europa League gives you a completely different route and is a competition that we want to carry on playing, and try to win it.

“The better we are in the Europa League, the better we’re going to be performing in the league and vice-versa. We need to be alive in both.”