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Just 24 hours on from the confirmation there would be two English sides in the final four of the Champions League, there’ll now also be two English sides in the semi-finals of the Europa League.
Both Manchester United and Arsenal progressed through to the next round of Europe’s secondary competition following impressive wins over Granada and Slavia Prague respectively.
Before the games had even kicked off the drama had begun as Slavia refused to take the knee – in the same week their teammate Ondrej Kudela was banned for ten matches for racially abusing Glen Kamara. You can probably tell what Arsenal’s Alexandre Lacazette thought of the decision…
Lacazette ✊❤️ pic.twitter.com/aHlh1SYr00
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) April 15, 2021
Alexandre Lacazette taking the knee right in the face of the Slavia Prague team who refuse to take the knee, who have a player banned for 10 games for racism, is the best thing you will see today. pic.twitter.com/2ZuYrqHjRc
— RuthlessFT ?? (@RuthlessFt) April 15, 2021
Manchester United already had one foot in the semi-final as they kicked off at Old Trafford following their 2-0 win in Spain last week, and it took just six minutes for any Granada hope of an emphatic comeback to be extinguished.
A first European goal in Manchester United colours for Edinson Cavani! ?
You just can’t give the Uruguayan space like that!
A cracking finish! ?#UEL pic.twitter.com/tKwJ2QAZK5
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) April 15, 2021
Classic Cavani. Don’t think anyone thought he was going to miss that. No wonder the ‘keeper didn’t move. #mufc
— Samuel Luckhurst (@samuelluckhurst) April 15, 2021
11 – Edinson Cavani has scored in European competition for the 11th consecutive season, with this being his first goal in the UEFA Europa League since December 2012 (for Napoli v PSV). Permanent. pic.twitter.com/mbsGhcsXRm
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) April 15, 2021
Edinson Cavani has now scored 50 goals in UEFA club competitions ? pic.twitter.com/1nXa6vj0Cv
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) April 15, 2021
Over in Prague, Emile Smith Rowe’s early disallowed goal for a marginal offside decision will have had Arsenal fans all over the world looking at each other with fear in their eyes, as if to say, ‘oh no, it’s not one of those nights is it’.
They shouldn’t have had any such worries, as Nicolas Pepe opened the scoring just minutes after Smith Rowe had been denied.
The quick feet from Smith Rowe.
Pépé’s composure.A class Arsenal opener! ?#UEL pic.twitter.com/iNiJ2fQjlT
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) April 15, 2021
PEPE!!! ?
That one counts!
⚪ 0-1 ? (18) | (1-2 agg)
? #UEL pic.twitter.com/cuzTOJCiAG
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) April 15, 2021
WHEN IT MATTERS THE MOST, NICOLAS PEPE ALWAYS STEP UP!!! THERES ICE IN THOSE VEINS
— Bhavs (@bhavss14) April 15, 2021
7 – Of players still involved in the 2020-21 UEFA Europa League, only Roma’s Borja Mayoral (9) has been directly involved in more goals in the competition this season than Arsenal’s Nicolas Pépé (7 – 4 goals, 3 assists). Spotlight. pic.twitter.com/WX8vu1hI4W
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) April 15, 2021
Right, exactly the start Arsenal needed, but the tie was still hanging in the balance and it was going to take a really rigid, disciplined display to ensure their semi-final place was in the bag.
Arsenal’s frontline had other ideas…
❌ 14′ Smith-Rowe goal disallowed
⚽️ 18′ Pépé
⚽️ 21′ Lacazette
⚽️ 24′ SakaArsenal are not holding back in Prague! ? pic.twitter.com/EpLKoERGLZ
— 90min (@90min_Football) April 15, 2021
SAKA THAT IS CLASS! ?
A fantastic start to the game for Arsenal who have scored THREE early goals! ???#UEL pic.twitter.com/I8tStBBmUm
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) April 15, 2021
If the gunners were anticipating a second-half fightback from the home side as they desperately tried to claw their way back into the contest, then they were in for a big surprise.
Slavia offered very little going forward – despite needing four goals if they were to progress – and Arsenal took complete control of the game before Lacazette put the cherry on top of a professional display out on in Prague.
Alexandre Lacazette putting in a huge shift, the penalty, the pressing, the linking, showing for the ball, dropping off to fill space, leading by example, taking the knee right in front of Slavia, looking a real captain tonight. Only Slavia but still. #SLAARS
— Henry Winter (@henrywinter) April 15, 2021
Alexandre Lacazette has now scored back-to-back braces away from home:
⚽️⚽️ vs. Sheffield United
⚽️⚽️ vs. Slavia PragueOne goal away from equalling his best single-season tally for Arsenal. #UEL pic.twitter.com/BSxKx2rKmN
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) April 15, 2021
With United polishing off their tie after a late own goal put them 4-0 ahead on aggregate, thoughts soon turned to the semi-final ties and beyond…
? The semi-finals are ???! ?
Who will contest the final in Gdańsk? ?#UEL pic.twitter.com/WxoEC80WAj
— UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) April 15, 2021
Unai Emery will be returning to the Emirates with his Villareal side in the Europa League semi-final! ? pic.twitter.com/PNnpmaAOD8
— 90min (@90min_Football) April 15, 2021
Could well be an all English final in both the Champions League and Europa League.
— ? (@BatesyV5) April 15, 2021
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