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Martin Keown shares pre-match thoughts ahead of Arsenal’s Europa League clash tonight
Arsenal legend Martin Keown has shared his pre-match thoughts ahead of the Gunners taking on Villarreal in the Europa League tonight.
Mikel Arteta’s charges trail 2-1 from the first leg and have a big job on their hands if they are to reach the final in Gdansk.
Arsenal fell behind after just five minutes of last week’s match in Spain as Manu Trigueiros opened the scoring for the hosts.
Raul Albiol then made it two just before the half-hour mark, leaving Arsenal facing a humiliating defeat and potentially a mountain to climb.
Dani Ceballos was then sent off before the hour but the Gunners managed to get an away goal, Nicolas Pepe netting a 73rd-minute penalty.
And both sides finished the game with ten men after Etienne Capoue was given his marching orders 10 minutes from time.
Keown says he’s not sure whether Arsenal can muster a clean sheet tonight given their recent record, so he’d like the Gunners to go on the offensive and turn the screw right away.
“The chant used to go: ‘One-nil to the Arsenal.’ That scoreline would do for Arteta on Thursday but I’m not sure this team possesses the ability to achieve it,” he wrote in the .
“They recently went 14 games without a clean sheet. Arsenal could do with coming out on Thursday, pressing high, going after Villarreal and scoring two or three goals to get themselves through.
“This is a huge clash because Arsenal are at a crossroads — ninth in the Premier League but so close to the Champions League if they can play this right.”
Alexandre Lacazette and Kieran Tierney are both pushing to be involved, while Ceballos is suspended.