Europa League: Villarreal take 2-1 lead over Arsenal

Unai Emery gained the primary battle towards his former membership on Thursday as Villarreal defeated Arsenal 2-1 within the first leg of the Europa League semifinals.
Manu Trigueros and Raúl Albiol scored first-half targets to present the Spanish membership the sting forward of subsequent week’s second leg in London. The English aspect pulled one nearer with a penalty kick transformed by Nicolas Pepe within the 73rd.
“We played a good match,” Emery mentioned. “It’s a bit unfair that we didn’t get a better result, but it’s still a victory and we will try to finish the job in the second match.”
Arsenal obtained the necessary away objective whereas enjoying with 10 males as Dani Ceballos was despatched off with a second yellow card within the 57th. Villarreal then had midfielder Etienne Capoue despatched off with a second reserving within the eightieth.
Villareal’s Manu Trigueros, left,celebrates after scoring his aspect’s opening objective through the Europa League semifinal first leg match between Villarreal and Arsenal on the Estadio de la Ceramica stadium in Villarreal, Spain, Thursday, April 29, 2021. (AP Photo/Alberto Saiz)
“In the end we allowed them to stay alive,” Trigueros mentioned. “We won, but looking at the match we should have done better. They leave with a bigger prize than they deserved.”
Villarreal is making its fifth try to achieve a European remaining, having failed on all earlier events, together with towards Arsenal within the 2006 Champions League and towards Liverpool within the 2016 Europa League.
Arsenal is attempting to return to the Europa League remaining for the second time in three years after dropping the title to Chelsea in 2019 whereas below Emery’s command. That remaining was one of many highlights of the Spanish coach throughout his turbulent 18 months with Arsenal. He is in his first season with Villarreal after being fired by the English membership in November 2019.
Emery has thrived within the Europa League, having led Sevilla to a few straight titles from 2014-16.
There had been few important scoring probabilities for both workforce on the Cerâmica stadium, however the hosts capitalized on their alternatives within the first half.
Villarreal opened the scoring 5 minutes into the match, with Trigueros discovering the online with a low shot from inside the world after the Arsenal protection didn’t clear the ball inside the world.
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Villarreal added to the lead with Albiol scoring from shut vary off a nook kick within the twenty ninth. The defender discovered the online after striker Gerard Moreno deflected the nook kick cross towards the far submit.
Pepe’s objective got here after a controversial penalty as Trigueros was adjudged to have tripped Bukayo Saka.
“It’s clear that it wasn’t a penalty,” Emery mentioned. “Maybe they didn’t want to call back another penalty after what happened in the first half. The penalty really hurt us.”
Arsenal, led by Spanish coach Mikel Arteta, thought it had a penalty kick towards the tip of the primary half however the name was reversed after a video assessment confirmed there was a handball by Pepe earlier than the foul occurred.
Arsenal’s hopes of rallying appeared to take successful when Ceballos was despatched off for stepping on the leg of Villarreal playmaker Dani Parejo whereas attempting to win the ball. But then Capoue was despatched off for a foul on Saka. The Villarreal participant was injured throughout the identical incident and needed to go away the sector on a stretcher.
“After the way the game developed, you have to take the result,” Arteta mentioned.
Moreno practically added the third objective for the hosts lower than 10 minutes after Ceballos was despatched off, however his close-range shot was brilliantly saved by Arsenal goalkeeper Bernd Leno.
Arsenal had one remaining clear likelihood however substitute Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s try from inside the world was saved by Villarreal goalkeeper Gerónimo Rulli.
“There’s a lot of positives that came in the second half,” Saka mentioned. “We’ve given ourselves a chance at home.”