You’d be mistaken for thinking Arsenal had already reached the Europa League quarter-finals after their impressive 2-0 win at AC Milan. Reports Give Me Sport.
That was, of course, never exactly the case and the return leg always prompted a difficult psychological situation for the Gunners and one Arsene Wenger was more than aware of before kick-off on Thursday night.
The Frenchman mused: “Europe gives you a psychological problem. When you have won away from home, you have to finish the job at home but it is not easy because it always puts the team who is playing against you in the position of having nothing to lose.”
He’s not wrong and, as a result, Wenger fielded a strong side for the clash at the Emirates, even if his game-plan was somewhat undermined by Laurent Koscielny’s early injury.
Andre Silva threatened the Arsenal goal in the opening seconds and while the north London club recovered from the early wobble, nerves in the defence remained.
