(Football news) In Champions League competition on Tuesday, the Gunners battled back to draw with Bayern Munich, while two days later, in Europa Conference League action against Lille, Villa emerged victorious.
Champions League quarterfinal evenings came to the Emirates on Tuesday for the first time since 2010 under Arsene Wenger’s leadership, and they did not let down. Mikel Arteta’s young and talented Arsenal team and European heavyweights Bayern Munich played out a thrilling four-goal thriller.
After opening the scoring from the spot versus Brighton & Hove Albion last weekend, Bukayo Saka was quick to rise to the big occasion against the Bavarians to give his side the lead, although the Gunners needed a late Leandro Trossard strike to draw the contest following first-half goals from Serge Gnabry and Harry Kane.
With their progression into the last four of the Champions League up in the air ahead of Wednesday’s memory-filled journey to the Allianz Arena, Arsenal must quickly turn their attentions to a three-horse title race in the Premier League – a competition in which Arteta’s troops have dropped just two points since the beginning of the calendar year.
Since the defensively-solid performance on the grounds of Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, the Gunners have resumed their flamboyant displays as they charge towards the English crown, beating Luton Town and Roberto De Zebri’s Brighton by an aggregate scoreline of 5-0, facing just three shots on target across the two matches.
The North Londoners will be seeking revenge following the reverse fixture at Villa Park in early December – a period in which Unai Emery’s Villans truly showcased their top-four credentials – with a seventh-minute John McGinn goal being enough to sentence the Gunners to only their second league defeat of the term at the time.
Looking to secure their first major trophy since 1996, Aston Villa solidified their tag as favourites to win the Conference League by beating French outfit Lille 2-1 in the first leg of their quarter-final duel at Villa Park on Thursday, although the Villans’ advantage in the tie was halved late on.
Always the man for a big moment in the Second City this season, Ollie Watkins headed home to put Emery’s side ahead inside 15 minutes before captain McGinn curled in a second after the half-time break, however Bafode Diakite pulled one back for Les Dogues to set up an intriguing second leg at Decathlon Arena next Thursday.
Unlike the three teams currently sitting above Villa in the top-flight standings, it is hard to argue that Emery’s troops have a standout star, however England international Watkins is certainly staking his claim for a place in the club’s history books, with the 28-year-old having scored 25 goals in all competitions this season – a tally only Dwight Yorke can equal for the Second City outfit during a Premier League campaign.
On Tuesday, the Gunners battled back to draw with Bayern Munich in the Champions League, while two days later, Villa triumphed against Lille in the Europa Conference League.
Champions League quarterfinal evenings made a triumphant return to the Emirates on Tuesday, marking the first time since Arsene Wenger’s tenure in 2010. Mikel Arteta’s young and talented Arsenal team faced off against European heavyweights Bayern Munich in a thrilling match that ended in four goals.
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