The big game between Valencia and Arsenal is coming up this evening with a place in the Europa League Final up for grabs, and we are all desperate to go one step further than we did at this stage last season. Under Wenger we were far from confident of beating Atletico Madrid, but after our 3-1 win at the Emirates we should be much more confident this time around.
Unai Emery has told his players to remember that they are playing for the fans as well as their own glory tonight. “We are in this competition with that opportunity tomorrow,” Emery said in his pre-match press conference. “With big ambition, a strong mentality and full motivation we can do it.
“Every worker in football, every professional, wants to play matches like tomorrow to try to get to a final,”.
“I am going to try to transmit to my players to enjoy it, to be focused and to take this experience like a positive in each moment and each minute and also to be thinking that we are playing for our supporters.”
I know how much the fans want us to win a European trophy for the first time in 25 years. I was there at Highbury when Arsenal knocked out Ajax in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup semi-final, with a certain Yohann Cruyff in the side, back in 1970. We then went on to stage an unbelievable comeback in the Final against Anderlecht.
The atmosphere was electrifying with the fans acting as the 12th and 13th players!!!
Let’s do it again…..