5 reasons why Arsenal will not win Europa League
Arsenal found out the opponents for their Europa League Round of 16 fixture on Friday which saw them being paired against AC Milan.
The last time these two great European sides faced off against each other was in 2012, the Champions League Round of 16, where Milan overcame the Gunners 4-3 on aggregate.
Milan will be going into the tie with the momentum, being unbeaten in all competitions in 2018 and having trumped Ludogorets 4-0 over both the legs in the Round of 32.
As per Arsenal, despite winning their Round of 32 fixture against FK Ostersunds 4-2, they suffered a surprise 2-1 loss at home in the second leg, with their weaknesses and complacency being exposed against a smaller side, similar to their loss against Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup.
Here are five reasons why Arsenal will fail to win the Europa League:
#5 Weak Defence
Despite keeping four clean sheets in the Europa League this season, Arsenal's defence is something that cannot be relied upon.
A loss at home to Ostersunds in the second leg was the perfect example. Arsene Wenger has opted to chop and change at the back for Europe, with fringe and rotational players getting a chance.
However, the experiments have not worked out. The defence has been caught out on different occasions.
If the North London side fails to qualify for the Champions League by finishing in the top four in England, then winning the Europa League is the only opportunity for direct qualification.
The January transfer window was a great chance for the Gunners to sign a new defender but Wenger decided against it. With the fixture congestion caused by playing on Thursday nights, the club needed new faces.
Calum Chambers has not impressed since his return to Arsenal in the summer from his loan spell at Middlesborough. Not only was he at fault for the own goal, he was caught for his lack of pace and looked mediocre in the second leg against the Swedish side.