Staff Reporter.
Arsenal’s Europa League hopes were dashed as Villarreal sealed a semi-final victory that will almost certainly end the Gunners’ unbroken 25-season run of appearing in European competition.
Trailing 2-1 from the first leg in Spain and knowing that victory in this tournament represented their only realistic route back into the Champions League, Mikel Arteta’s side could not find a way past the visitors’ stubborn defence.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang struck the post with a volley but it was a rare moment of threat in a display strangely passive for large parts.
Nicolas Pepe and Emile Smith Rowe both fired efforts wide early in the second half and Aubameyang hit the post again with a downward header later in the game, but such moments were few and far between.
That the defeat came at the hands of former boss Unai Emery will be especially galling for the Gunners. Emery was sacked in November 2019 after 18 months in charge, ultimately leading to the appointment of Arteta.
“We are devastated, really disappointed,” said Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta, who was dealt a blow in the warm-up when Swiss midfielder Grant Xhaka was injured and had to be replaced by full back Kienan Tierney.
“But we congratulate Villarreal. I think we deserved to win the game but the details define these ties. The way we started in Villarreal wasn’t good enough.”
Meanwhile Manchester United reached their first final of the Ole Gunnar Solskjaer era but lost their seven-match unbeaten record in an entertaining Europa League last-four tie with Roma.
Edinson Cavani scored both United goals in the second leg of a 13-goal semi-final.
The Uruguayan opened the scoring with a fabulous first-half effort, then found the net with a fine header from Bruno Fernandes’ excellent floated pass in the second half.
In between, Roma briefly threatened a comeback when former Manchester City forward Edin Dzeko scored his ninth goal against United before Bryan Cristante finished smartly with a shot on the turn.
The Italians had the final word when Nicola Zalewski’s low drive went in through David de Gea’s legs after taking a deflection off Alex Telles.
The 8-5 aggregate victory ends a run of four semi-final defeats for United under Solskjaer and sets up a meeting with Villarreal.
United are without a trophy since their last triumph in this competition in 2017, their longest run since the five-year gap between 1985 and 1990, which was ended by an FA Cup success that marked the start of Sir Alex Ferguson’s silverware collection.
Jose Mourinho was manager for that most recent United success and he will be responsible for reviving Roma’s fortunes next season, knowing their only chance of European football next season will come in Uefa’s new third-tier Conference competition.