EUROPA LEAGUE EMERY ACES HIS ITALIAN EXAM
Composed Gunners cruise into last four
THE Stadio San Paolo PA system blared out Guns N’ Roses’ anthem Welcome to
the Jungle before kick- off, as if to suggest Arsenal were in for a hellish night.
The reality was somewhat different. Never mind the jungle, this was more like a stroll in the park as Arsenal booked their place in the Europa League semi-finals without breaking sweat.
It was supposed to be far hotter than this in one of the continent’s great footballing cauldrons.
The San Paolo was pulsating with noise before the start. By the end it had been hushed as Arsenal finished with their chests puffed out, standing tall. The Londoners will have left here wondering what all the fuss was about after Alexandre Lacazette’s free-kick capped a comfortable night for the Gunners.
Unai Emery had vowed to be bold with his team selection, not that many believed him. Emery’s reputation for level-headedness precedes him, his outlook a far cry from Arsene Wenger’s mindset.
It explains why Arsenal are in much better shape than they were in those mediocre final seasons under the Frenchman. This win highlighted the progress they have made under Emery.
Yet, even with a two-goal lead from the first leg, Emery was true to his word. He started twin strikers Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in an expansive line-up. Credit to the Spaniard, his XI was daring and courageous — everything he had promised to be 24 hours earlier.
Perhaps it was the attraction of nicking an away goal. Score one, and Napoli would need four — surely an insurmountable task for them, even against a defence as leaky as Arsenal’s.
Truth be told, Arsenal should have put the tie out of Napoli’s reach in last week’s first leg. Emery feared that wastefulness would come back to bite them last night, particularly given Arsenal’s difficulties on the road.
Quietening the hostile home supporters during the early stages was No 1 on Arsenal’s to- do list last night.
This historic stadium, once home to Diego Maradona, Dino Zoff and Fabio Cannavaro, was not full — yet the jeers for Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech as he emerged for his warm-up, 45 minutes before kick-off, were deafening.
This was not a night for shrinking violets but the early signs were promising for the Gunners and their composure would have pleased Emery.
He was adamant his players would not crumble in this intense atmosphere and they justified his faith throughout the early exchanges.
Had Lacazette not dithered in front of goal in the 10th minute, Arsenal could have scored that away goal they so desperately craved. The Gunners then had Cech to thank in the 17th minute, the keeper producing a pointblank stop to deny Jose Callejon following a rapid counter-attack.
The natives were restless. They knew opportunities such as Callejon’s had to be taken. They also saw that, for the most part, Arsenal were in control.
Arkadiusz Milik had the ball in the net in the 25th minute, delightfully lofting it over the onrushing Cech, but the effort was rightly ruled out for offside.
It was a sign of things to come as Napoli started to turn the screw, Milik missing a glorious headed opening in the 28th minute.
But Arsenal knew opportunities would present themselves on the break as Napoli threw caution to the wind and Aubameyang fired a half- volley straight at Alex Meret.
The Gunners were struck by a worrying injury blow in the 32nd minute, Aaron Ramsey limping off with what appeared to be a hamstring injury. He was replaced by Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
Four weeks from the end of the season, it is possible we have seen the last of the Welshman in an Arsenal shirt as he prepares to join Juventus this summer. Moments later, though, the concern was replaced by jubilation as Arsenal extended their aggregate lead — and plundered the away goal they wanted.
Lacazette cannot have hit a cleaner free-kick. Fully 25 yards out, his effort whizzed past Meret, who was rooted to the spot.
The home keeper’s positioning was suspect and his feet looked to be stuck in cement. Not that Lacazette or Emery cared about that. Arsenal were surely on their way to the semi-finals.
Napoli were furious at being denied a penalty when Aubameyang seemed to handle the ball just before the break, but replays exonerated the striker.
By this point the Italians were desperate, imploring Romanian referee Ovidiu Hategan to penalise Arsenal at every opportunity.
Manager Carlo Ancelotti brought on Belgium forward Dries Mertens and deployed a gung-ho 4-2-4 system in search of the four goals that would see Napoli through.
Instead, Arsenal should have extended their lead in the 48th minute, Meret producing an extraordinary stop to keep out Aubameyang from close range.
Milik flashed an effort wide in the 66th minute, but by now Napoli’s efforts were token — they knew their fate. The question is, what is Arsenal’s destiny now in this Europa League campaign?