Europa League Semi-finals Draw
The dates for Arsenal’s UEFA Europa League semi-final showdown with Spanish outfit Villarreal have been confirmed.
The Gunners progressed to the last-four of the competition for the second time in three seasons on Thursday evening with an emphatic 4-0 win over Slavia Prague in the second-leg of their quarter-final showdown.
Goals from Alexandre Lacazette (2), Nicolas Pepe and Bukayo Saka sealed a resounding away triumph for Mikel Arteta’s troops, meaning they won the tie 5-1 on aggregate following last week’s 1-1 draw at the Emirates Stadium in the first-leg.
READ ALSO: Arsenal Thrash Slavia Prague In Czech Republic
The Gunners’ reward for getting the better of Slavia, who had beaten both Leicester City and Rangers on route to the quarter-final stage, is a reunion with former manager Unai Emery.
His Villarreal side also progressed to the semi-finals of the competition this evening, beating Croatian outfit Dinamo Zagreb 2-1 at the Estadio de la Ceramica, ensuring they won the tie 3-1 on aggregate.
Paco Alcacer fired the Spanish outfit into a 1-0 lead on 36 minutes before Gerard Moreno doubled their advantage just two minutes before the break. Mirslav Orsic, who single-handedly ripped Tottenham Hotspur apart in the last-16, pulled one back for the Croatian outfit but it was not enough.
READ ALSO: Roma Hold Ajax To 1-1 Draw
With the semi-final fixture now confirmed, Villarreal will be at home in the first-leg on Thursday, April 29 before Arsenal welcome them to the Emirates Stadium a week later on Thursday, May 6.
The winner will then travel to Gdansk, Poland, for the final on Wednesday, May 26 where they will face either Manchester United or Roma.
United defeated Granada CF 2-0 this evening in the second-leg of their respective quarter-final, meaning they won 4-0 on aggregate, whilst Roma got the better of Ajax, winning the tie 3-2 on aggregate after the second-leg finished 1-1 in Italy this evening.
The showdown between Arsenal and Villarreal will be their first meeting since going head-to-head at the quarter-final stage of the UEFA Champions League back in 2009. The Gunners won the tie 4-1 over the course of the two legs before being beaten by Manchester United in the last-four.
Arsenal and Villarreal have met each other just four times in the past, with Arsenal winning two of those clashes and the other two ending in stalemates.
