Arsenal have been drawn against Atletico Madrid in the Europa League semi-finals as they bid to win their first European silverware since 1994.
The Gunners will play the first leg at home on Thursday, 26 April, with the second leg a week later on 3 May. (Yeah, we cocked up the order earlier…soz).
It will be the first time the two sides have met in a competitive fixture, beyond the prestigious Emirates Cup, of course.
Should Arsenal win the tie they will face either Marseille or Salzburg in the final in Lyon on 16 May.
It’s not necessarily the draw we wanted, but at least we’re NOT at home in the second leg.
*cough*
Oh shit.
At least we’ve got them at home first. And last time I saw Costa he was in Kos’s pocket
Two week loan deal for Gabriel? Pretty sure Costa would need a change of pants
À two-week deal sending Mustafi to Atletico will be fine too.
You forgot BFG and Holding
The way Kosz has been playing recently, I think he is in his own pocket!
Quite perfect in my opinion. I’d prefer facing them over two legs than just 90 minutes.
Plus Spanish teams look shaky away from home in Europe.
Pretty much what I was thinking, the two legs bit anyway.
Sadly we look shaky away from home everywhere, but I do agree on facing them over 2 legs. Here’s to hoping we show up and smash them both legs. At the least, we can enjoy the spectacle of playing Athletico twice in a week. The way our season was going at the start of the year, I doubted I would fully enjoy the pressure and joy of watching my beloved this late in the season. COYG
How very true. We haven’t had a end of season with this much at stake. We used to be finished end of March, so this is exiting.
What’s at stake? Entrance to a competition in which we haven’t get past the last 16 for 6 years in a row and have absolutely no chance of winning. Champions League is meaningless with this clown in charge – pretty much everything Arsenal do is.
I’m hoping it’s AM that will be doing the exiting.
I’ll get my coat.
Yup..lets get Atletico out of the way and on to the final.
I agree on the two legs issue – we’re the better side overall.
Shame we’re without Mikhi and Auba, but I still think we’ll do it!
Better side overall? What arsenal do you watch ffs. Athltico are a million miles the better side
Sorry to agree. But it does not mean, we cannot go through to the final. We’re the Arsenal.
Better to get them in the semis over 2 legs and once we get through, we can be upbeat about winning the damn thing!! COYG!!!
Love your comment, great stuff.
The way they struggled against Leicester and their inconsistency in the UCL this season should give us confidence. Not the draw we want but arsenal can beat anyone on their day.
1st leg is key, come out with an away goal and maybe a draw and we can do the job at home. If we mess up the first leg then we’ll be spending the last month of the season with the vulture press continuously questioning Wenger about his future and fan reactions – just like last season.
I’m optimistically hoping for the best!
Trouble is we’re at home in first leg so quite difficult to do all that!
Not the best draw but they won’t be happy too.
Let’s make Costa v unhappy.
Forgot about Costa.
Should we unleash the Holding?
Fuck Costa, this is lacazette against the team he was supposed to join vs the team he did join
Let’s show made the right choice? (Not that it wasn’t because Atletico had a transfer ban).
Come on you fucking gunners!!
Yes exactly what I was thinking.. but also for the rest of the squad, they really should have a personal motivation to get back in to the champions league.. im thinking of players like özil, mkhitaryan, laca, ramsey, koscielny, cech… like for real, we cant blame everything on wenger (and besides I think wenger is an exceptional inspirer but thats another topic), these players should be able to motivate themselves in these big games.. they didnt make it to the top without their own strong motivation.. lets hope they are up for it big time
Amen!
Good that we are playing at home in the second leg.
We’re not. Second leg is away.
Site says we are home first leg.
I think the bbc says we are away on the second leg
BBC say first leg at home, second in Madrid.
Madrid first leg and second leg London… I told my friend that we are getting Atletico last…. That is the ARSENAL way
http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/43752477
Fake noose!
Look above.
Or don’t, now corrected to Arsenal away in second leg.
Say bye, bye, Diego…
Who are you?
That sounds like a song – say bye, bye, Diego
Obvious, as ever.
Oh dear. Atletico are about to get totally Welbeck´d.
Say bye, bye, Diego…
Mertesacker and Holding to reprise last season’s FA Cup Final job on Costa.
The good thing is we have the 2nd leg at home. CoYG, let’s get this done.
The cherry will be if Costa gets sent-off!
Blogs got it wrong home first leg
It’s been proven beyond a shadow of a doubt. UEFA hates us
You deserve a f…ing medal for your title. Love it. Ha, ha, ha, great stuff.
we are home in the first leg i reckon
BBC saying first leg at home??
Guardian, too….
I watched the draw. First leg definitely at home.
Maybe it’s better to play them over two legs than in the final? Especially 2nd leg at home. We can do this.
Meh. Our record past few years shows we’re good at finals.
How quickly can we re-sign Gabriel?
So that he gets a red card?
No, so that Costa gets brown pants.
Kolasinac could make Costa even more unhappy than Gabriel or Holding. The problem is that they also have Griezmann.
How come is the first leg away?
My initial reaction was, “oh fuck, not them!” But having gone through the comments here, I’m quite upbeat for the tie! Your confidence is contagious gooners! Thank you.
Let’s make that thug Costa sad again!
COYG!!
make him cry again
That’d be even better!
Are we sure that the second leg is at home?
Pretty sure I read that the team drawn first will play the first leg at home?
woops
drop jack, stick with elneny, xhaka and rambo in the middle
we need the defensive cover if we gonna have any chance
good luck to jack where ever he goes, his performances to date have been ok, but nowt spectacular, see you at everton like our world beater theo or warm the bench at another club like giroud if you dont wanna sign whats put in front of you.
defensive drills all day and night for the next fortnight, bouldy open your mouth
Spot on
If you want to be the best you’ve got to beat the best. Unfortunate draw but at this stage in the competition you’ve got to step up anyway. COYG!
BBC reporting that the first leg is at home? Also we’ll be the ‘away’ team if we reach the final
Yes, Atletico are arguably the strongest team in the draw but that does not mean we don’t have a chance. Sporting had a huge opportunity to grab an away goal in the first leg which would have changed the complexion of the 2nd leg. We have as good a chance as beating them as they do beating us. I fancy us to get to the final.
They drew our name first. So 1st leg is at home I think
Bloggs, I remember Arshavin scoring from an impossible angle against Atleti to send us past them.
That was at the prestigious Emirates cup, not mundane competitions like Champions League or Europa league.
Oh, my bad.
The Emirates “Gallas” cup. Who can forget our unforgettable captain going crazy when he lifted that cup?
Blogs, first leg will be at home, Second leg will be in Madrid
Super Rob Holiday to do another job on Costa
*Holding
The good thing about this draw is that Arsenal now know that they just HAVE to turn up with top top top performances in both legs of the tie, otherwise it’s game over.
But we can beat them, and progress to the final. We’re the Arsenal after all.
They’re beatable, bring it on.
Not sure drawing Marseille or Salzburg would have been as easy as most folk think
I think it’s actually better that we got Atletico in the semi-final. If we’re in it to win it, we have to beat any of the teams left and the necessity of doing so over two legs with Atletico might be a blessing.
we are at home in the first leg!
Sadly the task is greater. You’ve got it wrong. First leg is at home.
The Gunners will play the first leg at home on Thursday, 26 April, with the second leg a week later on 3 May. – Think you’ve got it the wrong way round Bloggs.
Fun while it lasted. Now: Focus on the summer!
I think this is actually alright. At this stage of a competiton you are likely to need to beat very good teams anyway. Given our inconsistency this season none of us can predict with any certainty what the team is going to do. Time for the team to show they have true quality and character. COYG!
Dammit we were enjoying our holiday from dirty Costa
I think we will beat Athletico Madrid.
We’re beating those fuckers over two legs ! Coyg!
Perfect. Bring it on. Gooonnnneeerrrssss!!!!
The worry here, of course, is that we’ve always lost over both legs to top quality opposition in the knockouts in Europe for quite a while now. However, if our new-found confidence continues (unbeaten in 7 now, all comps, if I counted right), then anything is possible. Definitely, Atleti is beatable and they need it less anyway. But we just have to turn up first. No rubbish defensive mistakes or going missing in matches. Turn up and we can bring this cup home. Positive thing is that they won’t be there to give us problems in the final if we… Read more »
Damnit if Chelsea and Roma (and fucking Qarabag avoided a loss if I am not wrong) can beat them, then so can we!
are we sure on the home tie?
As someone who has followed Atletico Madrid this season, im fairly confident of our chances. Obviously it isn’t going to be easy, but it definitely isn’t as bad as some fans and pundits are making it seem. Atletico are shaky away from home, Greizman (is that how it’s spelled?) has been hot and cold, and so has Costa. I’m much more confident of beating them over two legs than one. Let’s hope that we have Mkhi back in time for the tie!
COYG!
As someone who has followed Arsenal this season, im fairly unconfident of our chances. Obviously it isn’t going to be impossible, but it definitely isn’t as good as some fans and pundits are making it seem. Arsenal are shaky away from home, Lacazette (is that how it’s spelled?) has been hot and cold, and so has Welbeck. I’m much less confident of beating them over two legs than one. Let’s hope that we have Mkhi back in time for the tie!
COYG!
I’m usually a very positive gooner.
But struggling to derive any positivity from this draw after that performance last night.
Make no mistake we are and continue to be atrocious over 2 legs and Atletico are better than us even without the slapstick weekly mistakes we see from Cech/Mustafi or the disappearing acts we are undoubtedly going to “see” from Ozil and/or Jack if he plays.
1 positive is that Jack’s poor form has made me sympathise with Xhaka greatly. He ain’t that bad muchachos…he ain’t that bad.
Also I feel Elneny needs to start.
That’s the spirit
We won our quarter final 6-3. I don’t consider this atrocious.
Atletico in the semis is a blessing. If Arsenal turns up the way they are capable of doing this cup is ours to lose. Atletico has visibly struggled against Sporting CP in the quarters so they are quite beatable esp over 2 legs. We just need to deny them an away goal.
Would have been more concerned if we had drawn the wildcard Salzburg. They seem unpredictable at best and the anxiety of facing Atletico in Lyon would have hampered our game.
Can you see us denying them a away goal though? We’ve not managed to keep out ostersunds, Milan or cska
My initial reaction was like “Oh sh*t”, but we would have to play them in the final anyway. Bring it on!
I think the second leg is in Madrid and first leg in London!
We are at home in the first leg!!
YES!
Exciting!
Looking forward to it, good times (for a change, heh).
So in one 7-day period we’ll have a run of: A Madrid (H) Man U (A) A Madrid (A). That’ll be all sorts of fun. A huge decision for Wenger whether or not to put out a weakened team for the PL game to keep legs fresh for the 2nd leg.
8 days, actually…
Get out of here with your facts and advanced mathematics.
And why we would put the strong team vs man.utd is not like we are 2 points behind 4th place it is a meaningless game. If you ask me i would even rest the bench olayers that always come on as a subs i would plar neketiah and nelsson and niles mixed with rob chambers kolasinac etc
“Not necessarily the draw we wanted” — I bet Atletico are saying just the same!