Arsenal vs Valencia prediction: Europa League semi-final team news, predicted line-ups, squad, odds, TV channel, live stream and more
Arsenal host Valencia in their Europa League semi-final first leg on Thursday night, as Unai Emery comes up against the club that he managed to three consecutive third-place La Liga finishes.
In the quarter-finals, Arsenal dispatched Carlo Ancelotti’s Napoli with an impressive 3-0 win over two legs, while Valencia comprehensively beat fellow La Liga side Villarreal 5-1 on aggregate.
Since their second leg victory over Napoli, however, Arsenal have suffered their worst run of form under Emery, losing their last three games 3-2, 3-1 and 3-0 to Crystal Palace, Wolves and Leicester.
Fortunately for the north London club, Valencia’s form is flagging slightly as well, with two La Liga losses in three games since their quarter-final victory against Villarreal. One of those defeats came at the hands of second-placed Atletico Madrid, however, and was a tightly contested 3-2.
Prediction: Arsenal 2-1 Valencia
Arsenal’s last three performances have seen the team at their worst since Emery joined the club from PSG last summer, but the Spanish manager excels in the Europa League, a competition that he won three years in a row between 2014 and 2016.
The north Londoners need to snap their streak of sub-par results at some point, and the Europa League provides the perfect platform for them to do that.
It won’t be straight-forward against Valencia, though. The Spanish team bring a compact defence, rapid counter-attacks and familiar faces in former Gunners Gabriel Paulista and Francis Coquelin, who will both have points to prove to the Emirates crowd.
Arsenal will hope that Mesut Ozil recovers from a foot injury in time for this first leg fixture, and if he does, the German will need to step up in the absence of the injured Aaron Ramsey, who has been Arsenal’s best player this season.
What time does it start?
Arsenal vs Valencia kicks off at 8pm (GMT).
Where can I watch it?
The match will be shown live on BT Sport 2, with coverage beginning at 7:15pm.
Subscribers can also watch the game on BTSport.com and the broadcaster’s app, or in ultra-high definition on BT Sport 4K UHD.
Predicted line-ups:
Arsenal: Cech; Maitland-Niles, Sokratis, Koscielny, Monreal, Kolasinac; Torreira, Xhaka, Ozil; Lacazette, Aubameyang
Valencia: Neto; Wass, Garay, Gabriel, Gaya; Torres, Coquelin, Parejo, Guedes; Gameiro, Mina
Head-to-head…
Valencia 2-1 Arsenal, Champions League, March 2003
Arsenal 0-0 Valencia, Champions League, December 2002
Valencia 1-0 Arsenal, Champions League, April 2001
Arsenal 2-1 Valencia, Champions League, April 2001
Valencia 0-0 Arsenal (5-4 on pens), European Cup Winners’ Cup, May 1980
Form guide…
Arsenal: WWWLLL
Valencia: WWWWLL
Odds…
Arsenal to win: 19/20
Valencia to win: 16/5
Draw: 12/5
