Europa League Semi-Final Second Leg

ARSENAL 0
VILLARREAL 0
Villarreal win 2-1 on aggregate

ARSENAL’S dead-weight season sank without trace when they failed to overturn a first leg deficit on Thursday evening at an empty Emirates Stadium.

Toothless up front and largely pedestrian across the pitch, the Gunners fired a succession of blanks leaving their resolute but unspectacular opponents dreaming of their first European final.

With the Arsenal players crestfallen, coach Mikel Arteta said the club as a whole was “devastated” by the defeat. It also means they will almost certainly not be playing European football next season, for the first time since the mid-1990s.

“We tried everything until the last minute,” said Arteta. “I think we deserved to win the game but the details define these ties. We had three big chances, they didn’t have anything, but they are through.”

Arteta made seven changes from Sunday’s win at Newcastle. But there was a further change at left-back when Granit Xhaka was injured in the warm-up. His place went to Kieran Tierney, but the Scot, only just coming back from injury himself, was not at his penetrating best.

Arsenal missed the fans too; their wall of noise could well have seen them over the line.

Instead supporters lit flares and protested outside the ground before kick off over Stan Kroenke’s short-lived dalliance with the cash-quick Super League.

Founder members of a breakaway European league one minute, and out of traditional European competition the next. Poor old Arsenal!

There was precious little for any Arsenal fan watching at home to get excited about. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang struck the left hand post in the 26th minute, but that was the sum of Arsenal’s efforts in a forgetful first half.

Villarreal, with former Arsenal player Francis Coquelin excelling in midfield, were outgunning the home side. Their key strength was how they stifled the Gunners at the back.

Going forward, the “Yellow Submarine” weren’t overly menacing, although their danger man Samuel Chukwueze forced Bernd Leno in to an early save when the German goalie tipped over a rasping shot over the crossbar.

The game looked to be turning Arsenal’s way when Chukwueze was stretchered off towards the end of the first period, but Arteta’s side just couldn’t capitalise.

Emile Smith-Rowe should have done better with his curling effort that arched past the right hand post as the Gunners started the second half with greater urgency.

Nicolas Pepe saw his effort go wide, too, as Arsenal finally began to exert some pressure, while Aubameyang went agonisingly close to scoring again. But his close range, downward header hit the post and somehow bounced onto the boot of a grateful Spanish defender.

At the back, Arsenal had to be careful that Villarreal didn’t steal an away goal to take the tie completely away from them, and with the clock ticking, Arteta sent on Gabriel Martinelli, Alexandre Lacazette, Willian and Eddie Nketiah.

But, the extra firepower didn’t work and Arsenal were out on aggregate. Former Arsenal coach Unai Emery had the last laugh on his 18-month tenure at the Emirates, and his new charges Villarreal will be facing Manchester United in Gdansk, Poland, at the end of the month.

It will be Emery’s replacement, Arteta, who will be contemplating what could have been on the night.

Arteta will also ponder about what the short-term future holds for him, his players and the supporters, when a club as huge as Arsenal, won’t be playing European football next season.

Quizzed afterwards if he was the right man to now take Arsenal forward, Arteta said: “I wouldn’t be sitting here if I couldn’t. You will see it. It’s not about talking, it’s about showing it on the pitch.

“I feel the pressure all the time because I want to do as good as I can for the team, for every support that I have here and for the fans. I think everybody’s job is under scrutiny.”

ARSENAL: Leno; Bellerin (Nketiah, 90+1), Holding, Mari, Tierney (Willian, 80); Partey; Saka, Odergaard (Martinelli, 66), Smith Rowe, Pepe; Aubameyang (Lacazette, 80)
Substitutes not used: Ryan, Okonkwo, Gabriel, Cedric, Chambers, Nelson, Elneny

VILLARREAL: Rulli; Gasper, Albiol, Torres, Pedraza (Moreno, 90+1), Parejo, Coquelin, Trigueros; Moreno, Alcacer (Bacca, 72), Chukwueze (Pino, 30), Pino (Gomez, 90+1)
Substitutes not used: Costa, Asenjo, Funes Mori, Pena, Estupinan, Raba, Baena, Nino