How seriously should Arsenal take the Europa League?

Can Emery guide Gunners to victory?

European life after Arsene Wenger begins for Arsenal this week as they take on Ukrainian side Vorskla Poltava in the Europa League. The Gunners haven’t been Wenger-less on the continent since Stewart Houston took charge of the 1995 Cup Winners’ Cup Final.

They’re 7/1 to win the competition outright and 1/4 to top Group E. But will Unai Emery’s men take the competition seriously? The Coral News Team give three reasons why they should…

Emery’s European record

There’s no getting away from Emery’s incredible record in this competition. The Frenchman won the Europa League in three consecutive seasons with Sevilla in 2014, 2015 and 2016. He even reached the quarter-final and semi-final in a previous stint with Valencia in the late 2000s.

Part of his success in the tournament has come as a result of his consistency. Emery has never lost a group stage match in the Europa League. He won all three home fixtures in his last group stage campaign with Sevilla during the 2014-15 season. He won 10 of his 12 home knockout matches with the Spanish club too.

Premier League threat

Six doesn’t go into four in the Premier League. Two sides will miss out on the Champions League via the domestic route. With Emery still righting the wrongs that blighted Arsenal under Wenger, he could choose to prioritise the Europa League as a competition he knows well.

At the moment it stands to reason that the Gunners are the likeliest side to miss out on the top-four. They’re in transition, they look shaky at the back and star striker Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang has yet to get going this season.