Europa League: Arsenal 2-0 Napoli - Hits and Flops
Arsenal take a huge step towards the semi-finals of the Europa League following a comprehensive 2-0 victory over Napoli at the Emirates.
Aaron Ramsey and an own goal by Kalidou Koulibaly in a space of 11 minutes in the first-half already put the Gunners in a good position, though the Welshman missed a glorious chance to double his tally after the break.
The Partenopei, on the other hand, once again came a cropper at the big stage. Carlo Ancelotti's side lacked the firepower to cause any trouble in the attack, and also struggled to find defensive composure as the opening half saw the backline all over the place. Now they face an uphill task at home when the sides reconvene for the second-leg in a week's time.
Here are the hits and flops from the match.
Hit: Aaron Ramsey
In his final season with the Gunners, Ramsey is enjoying his best season to date. And the Welshman carried his rich vein of form into the match to turn in another blinder and clinch the man-of-the-match prize.
Ramsey was quick off the ball and brilliantly picked out passes. His excellent reading of the game allowed him to drive forward and latch on to Mohamed Elneny's cross to fire the opener from close range. He took a wrecking ball to the Napoli defense with his mazy dribbles and also demonstrated his passing range with 86% accuracy.
The 28-year old midfield maestro showed what exactly are the Gunners faithfuls going to miss once he departs for Turin over the summer as his penetrative runs from the deep caused plenty of problems at the heart of the Partenopei whilst also linked up well with his team-mates to keep the attacking juices flowing.
His only frustrating moment of the night was when he blazed an effort from close range into the stands in the second-half while tapping it in was the easiest thing to do. It would've killed the tie altogether, but rest assured he was massive in the crucial win.