Arsenal have bounced back from their two defeats to Manchester City and Chelsea with three successive victories in the league. Unai Emery’s team is finally showing signs of promise after a difficult start to this campaign. The Gunners would now look to kick things off in the UEFA Europa League with a win on Thursday night when they clash heads with FC Vorskla.
UEFA Europa League: A Potential Hunting Ground For Mkhitaryan?
Emery is expected to make a number of changes to his side for this upcoming European encounter at the Emirates Stadium. However, the North London outfit will need the help of some of their first-team stars if they want to beat their Ukranian opponents in midweek. Henrikh Mkhitaryan could be in line to start for Arsenal and would be expected to make a significant contribution going forward when he laces up to take on the Vorskla defence on Thursday. The Armenian international had already shown glimpses of his brilliance when he scored a goal and created an assist against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge earlier this season.
The Armenian Has An Impressive Record In The Europa League
The 29-year-old has always had a knack for scoring and setting up goals from midfield during his career. He has a wealth of experience in European football after previously playing for teams such as Borussia Dortmund, Shakhtar Donetsk, and Manchester United.
The Armenian played an integral part for Jose Mourinho’s Man United team who won the UEFA Europa League two years ago. He scored six goals during the competition which includes his decisive strike against AFC Ajax in the final which helped the Red Devils lift the prestigious European trophy in 2017.
Mkhitaryan found the back of the net once while creating two assists in the Gunners’ run to the semi-finals of the competition last season. However, he was injured during the latter stages of the tournament and was a big miss against Atletico Madrid who eventually beat Arsenal on their way to lifting the trophy.
Verdict
His past track record in the elite competition proves that we can expect another big year in Europe from him. Emery’s team will rely on the Armenian’s goal-scoring threat from midfield if they are to be successful in the Europa League this season. However, Mkhitaryan won’t be able to do it on his own and would need support from his teammates if the Gunners are to lift the European trophy next year.
