Arsenal 3-1 Valencia: 3 players who won the game for Unai Emery
Arsenal have continued their impressive record in the Europa League after they beat Valencia at the Emirates. Unai Emery's squad will enjoy a considerable advantage when they travel to Spain for the return leg thanks to the result of the match.
However, Valencia successfully picked up an away goal. This leaves Emery's side with some work to do next week. The North Londoners will try to keep a clean sheet and if possible, increase the goal margin when they play at Mestalla Stadium.
Nevertheless, most of Arsenal players deserve praise for their hard work this time. They dominated the game and did not give too many chances for Valencia to attack. Now we will take a look at the three most impressive stars who got the first leg job done for the Gunners.
#1 Granit Xhaka
Fans have been critical of the Swiss midfielder in recent seasons due to the player's several uninspiring displays. However, in this season, fans are seeing a different side of Xhaka. He has been Arsenal's main midfielder who is capable of dictating the team's play thanks to his accurate passing.
He had a superb performance against Valencia and was influential in both of Arsenal's defense and attack. The 26-year-old ensured his team's smooth play by delivering 91 percent of his passes successfully. He also diligently helped his team to defend by registering two tackles and won one aerial duel.
His effort finally came into fruition when Alexandre Lacazette finished the midfielder's ground-splitting pass in the 25th minute to give Arsenal the lead. He also did not disappoint in his corner-taking role as he delivered a couple of good balls into the box.