Arsenal visit Chelsea on Sunday before Unai Emery will make his debut as Aston Villa’s new manager. So, where are his Arsenal XI for the 2019 Europa League final with Chelsea now?
Much has changed in north London since the Spaniard guided the Emirates Stadium side to Baku, Azerbaijan. Emery led Arsenal to fifth place in the Premier League during his maiden term upon replacing Arsene Wenger. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was also his top scorer.
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Now, Aubameyang will line up in blue on Sunday after moving to Stamford Bridge over the summer from Barcelona for £12m. Mikel Arteta sanctioned the Gabon forward’s exit back in January. He can also see Arsenal now spend another week atop the table with a victory.
Arsenal face Chelsea on a league-leading pace as Emery makes his Aston Villa debut
Arsenal entered the weekend with a two-point lead on defending champions, Manchester City. Arteta’s men also sat as the only team with 10 wins through the first 12 games of the season. Chelsea, in contrast, have won six of their 12 to begin the weekend in sixth place.
Arteta took over the Emirates Stadium helm from Emery in December 2019, seven months after Arsenal lost the Europa League final 4-1 to Chelsea. Goals from former Gunner Olivier Giroud plus Pedro and Eden Hazard’s brace proved the difference at the Olympic Stadium.
Emery returned to management at Villarreal in July 2020 through to this October. He won the Europa League with the La Liga outfit in his first year there, beating Manchester United in the final. Now, he will make his debut as Aston Villa’s head coach against the Red Devils.
Aston Villa appointed Emery to the Villa Park helm following Steven Gerrard’s sacking. The Birmingham outfit begin his tenure at home to Manchester United on Sunday after Arsenal visit Chelsea. He has taken over a squad which started the weekend in 16th with 12 points.
So, before Arsenal face Chelsea on a league-leading pace and Emery makes his debut as Aston Villa’s new manager, HITC Football looks at his XI from the 2019 Europa League final.
Petr Cech (GK): Emery’s Europa League final star re-joined Chelsea after Arsenal exit
Petr Cech started for Arsenal in Emery’s 2019 Europa League final defeat to Chelsea. It was to be his final appearance for the Gunners before retiring after losing the position to Bernd Leno. The Czech icon then returned to Stamford Bridge as an advisor but was fired in June.
Sokratis Papastathopoulos (CB): Arteta paid the Greek now at Olympiacos to leave
Arteta paid Sokratis Papastathopoulos to leave Arsenal in January 2021, per the Daily Star, having not fielded the Greek that season. The 34-year-old joined Olympiacos with his free-agent status and remains at the Super League side. But his contract is set to expire in June.
Laurent Koscielny (CB): Captained Emery’s Arsenal XI in the 2019 Europa League final
Laurent Koscielny captained Emery’s Arsenal XI in the 2019 Europa League final defeat to Chelsea. Yet the centre-half left north London to join Bordeaux that August for £4.5m. He had featured 353 times with the Gunners and won three FA Cups. He retired this January.
Nacho Monreal (CB): An injury has forced the three-time FA Cup winner to retire
An injury has forced Nacho Monreal to call time on a career that featured three FA Cups at Arsenal. The 36-year-old left north London after 251 outings in 2019 to join Real Sociedad. But the 22-cap Spaniard announced on Instagram back in August, via quotes by the Mirror:
“My knee sends me a message… loud and clear; I cannot continue!” Monreal stated. “Do I get mad? NO! I listen to it and accept the situation and thank it for everything. A stage is over. Another starts. I’m happy and feeling good. One more time… I FEEL GOOD!!!”
Ainsley Maitland-Niles (RM): Fouled Giroud for Chelsea penalty in Europa League final
Ainsley Maitland-Niles has been at Arsenal since he joined the club’s academy in 2003. But the Hale Ender is now on loan with Southampton following spells at West Brom and Roma. The 25-year-old has only amassed 49 of his 132 appearances for the Gunners under Arteta.
Lucas Torreira (CM): Arteta sold the Uruguayan to Galatasaray this August
Arteta sold Lucas Torreira to Galatasaray in August for just £5.5m having seldom relied on the midfielder. Emery had brought him to England during his first transfer window in 2019 from Sampdoria for £26m. But the 26-year-old only played 89 games with 17 under Arteta.
Granit Xhaka (CM): The Swiss is shining brightly in Arteta’s Arsenal line-up
Granit Xhaka is shining brightly in Arteta’s Arsenal line-up this term with the Swiss relishing a box-to-box role. The 30-year-old has four goals and laid on three assists over 17 games. Xhaka – who Emery stripped of the captaincy in 2019 – has also led the Gunners in Europe.
Sead Kolasinac (LM): Arsenal mutually terminated the Marseille man’s contract
Arsenal mutually terminated Sead Kolasinac’s contract back in January for the Bosnia and Herzegovina international to join Marseille. He had been in north London since 2017 and amassed 118 appearances. But the 29-year-old had only featured 30 times under Arteta.
Mesut Ozil (CAM): Istanbul Basaksehir signed the German in July
Istanbul Basaksehir signed Mesut Ozil in July after Fenerbahce terminated his contract by mutual consent. The midfielder had moved to the Super Lig side in January 2021. Yet The Athletic reported Arsenal continued to pay 90% of his £350k-a-week wages until that July.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (ST): Arsenal could face their former star at Chelsea
Aubameyang could face his former side, Arsenal, on Sunday after joining Chelsea just eight months after moving to Barcelona. The Times reported the Gunners paid the 33-year-old a lump £7m to terminate his £350k-a-week contract this January after four years at the club.
Wenger paid Borussia Dortmund a former club record £56m to sign the Gabon forward in January 2018. He went on to score 92 goals in 163 games for the club. Emery also handed Aubameyang the captaincy, but Arteta stripped him of the role after a disciplinary breach.
Alexandre Lacazette (ST): The striker has returned to Lyon following his release
Alexandre Lacazette returned to Lyon this summer and is now the Ligue 1 outfit’s captain. The Gones product re-joined them upon his release by Arsenal at the end of his contract in June. Wenger’s £46.5m signing spent five years in north London for 71 goals in 206 games.
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