Arsenal take on Villarreal in the Europa League on Thursday night, and that means another reunion with Unai Emery.
The two sides faced off in the first leg of their semi-final clash last week, with Villarreal claiming a 2-1 win in their home leg.
They now head to North London to try and finish off the job, and Emery will be hoping for a successful first trip back to the Emirates Stadium.
Emery lost his job as Arsenal boss in 2019, mere months after guiding the Gunners into the Europa League final, where they lost to Chelsea.
This tie means Emery is facing off against a number of his former Arsenal players, including midfielder Granit Xhaka.
Emery made Xhaka the new Arsenal captain in September 2019, but he was stripped of the armband inside six weeks after Xhaka had a run-in with Arsenal fans.
The 28-year-old has rebuilt his relationship with the Gunners fanbase and remains an important part of the Arsenal side, though Sky Germany claimed in March that Xhaka is now looking to leave Arsenal this summer.
Ahead of Thursday’s game, Xhaka has heaped praise on the Swiss ace, telling Football.London that he thinks Xhaka is an ‘extraordinary’ player and even more extraordinary person.
“He deserves being in a club like Arsenal and he deserves the respect of the people,” said Xhaka. “I did it back then and I do it now. He’s an extraordinary footballer and double extraordinary person. I’m really glad he’s enjoying at Arsenal,” he added.
Would Emery pursue a Xhaka reunion? Possibly, though it’s hard to see Villarreal paying the fee and wages he would require.
A return to Germany seems much more likely, but it’s clear that Emery feels that Xhaka deserves huge appreciation at Arsenal, which hasn’t always happened.
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