Arsenal eye Europa League revenge against Olympiacos

“It hurts a lot” were the first words Mikel Arteta used after Arsenal crashed out of the Europa League last year in the hands of Olympiacos.

With the game tied at 1-1, 2-1 to the home side on aggregate, Youssef El-Arabi’s struck in the 119th minute. Just a minute or so later, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang missed a gilt-edged chance as the Gunners got dumped out of the competition to leave the Emirates shellshocked.

Reflecting back on that night, Arteta said,:

“Well obviously, it was a really tough one to swallow. The way it happened at the end was really cruel after everything we did in the two games to lose it the way we did it and with the last chance that Auba had. But we moved on.

“Obviously, we have some feeling towards that team and we want to put it right.”

377 days and a FA Cup later, the Gunners will be hoping that lightning does not strike twice as they take on the Greek champions yet again on Thursday evening.

In what has been a poor season, the Europa League presents itself as Arsenal’s last hope to salvage the campaign.

With a place in the top four looking out of reach, the competition looks to be their best route into next season’s Champions League or possibly Europe altogether with the side in danger of missing out on the European football for the first time since the 1995/96 campaign.

The North Londoners will be buoyed up by their last outing in the competition a fortnight ago, having overcome a two-goal deficit thanks to a Kieran Tierney strike and a late winner from Aubameyang.

Arteta and his players will be aware of the dangers that Olympiacos pose and that any sort of underestimation could lead to a repeat of last year. The 38-year-old said:

“We can’t underestimate who they are, where they are coming from. They are coming from playing in the Champions League. It’s a team that is used to playing in all those competitions and they beat us last year.

“It doesn’t matter the manner but they did it last year so we have to be better than last year to beat them now.”

Similarly, the Greek side certainly didn’t make life easier for themselves against PSV in the last round. Ahmed Hassan’s strike two minutes from time ensured they progressed into the round of 16 for the second consecutive year after Eran Zahari’s brace put the Dutch side level on aggregate.

Will it be a lack of ruthlessness in front of goal or individual mistakes that cost Arteta’s side victory? If both can be avoided, victory at the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium will be more than achievable.