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The Europa League 2019-20 Round of 32 draw took place at the UEFA headquarters in Nyon on Monday and offered some interesting clashes between clubs across Europe as reigning Eredivisie champions Ajax are set to take on Getafe, Serie A toppers Inter Milan will look to eliminate Bulgarian outfit Ludogorets and Manchester United will play Club Brugge.
Meanwhile, Arsenal, who managed to finish at the top of Group F courtesy of a 2-2 draw away at Standard Liege, are scheduled to take on Greek outfit Olympiakos in a tricky fixture. The first leg is set to take place at the Karaiskakis Stadium on February 20 and the second leg is slated to be played at the Emirates Stadium on February 27.
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The fixture could prove to be an immensely difficult test for the flaky Gunners who are not only faced with a long-term defensive crisis but are also currently without a manager. The north London giants were lucky to have qualified for the next stages of Europe's secondary competition following mediocre displays in their group games, losing to Eintracht Frankfurt and drawing against Vitoria and Standard Liege.
Having said that, we take a look at three reasons why Olympiakos could cause an upset and eliminate Arsenal from the Europa League Round of 32.
#3 Arsenal's never-improving defensive crisis and declining standards
Miserable reminders of Arsenal's decline appear to show themselves at every game as the north London giants devastatingly come to terms with the loss of their identity and purpose. In the last decade, the Gunners faithful have witnessed neither style nor structure from their beloved team and the narrative has continued much in the same vein even after Arsene Wenger's much-anticipated departure.
Arsenal's never-ending defensive crisis is at the forefront of their problems and is highlighted by the fact that they have already conceded 39 goals in all competition in the current season. Unai Emery himself failed to find a settled combination for his back-line having unsuccessfully switched from a back four to a back three on multiple occasions. These frailties continue to be exploited under Freddie Ljungberg, who has failed to spark an upturn of fortunes during his short stint at the club.
Olympiakos will surely capitalise on the Gunners' vulnerable defence as Pedro Martins' attack-minded approach will allow the likes of Youssef El-Arabi and Mathieu Valbuena to run riot against the Premier League giants. The Greek titans netted two goals against Bayern Munich and four against Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League and will likely add more to their tally when they face Arsenal.
What could cause further problems for Arsenal is the massive lack of balance and depth in their midfield. Their defence may have taken much of the blame for the team's crisis but the lack of mobility and any defensive mindset with the likes of Granit Xhaka has also left the back-line completely exposed to attacks. Olympiakos will surely waste no time in taking advantage of the lack of cover and will look to disrupt their opponents' flow in midfield every chance they get.
#2 Olympiakos' attack-minded approach backed by recent European form
Olympiakos will head into the fixture off the back of decent Champions League performances, so their confidence will be through the roof as they look to extend their flair to Europe's secondary competition.
The Greek giants proved themselves to be tricky opponents against the likes of Bayern Munich and Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League as they boasted of enormous grit and attacking prowess, scoring twice against the Bundesliga giants and four times against Spurs.
With joint league top-scorer Youssef El-Arabi spear-heading the Olympiakos attack and the likes of Mathieu Valbuena, Giorgos Masouras, and Daniel Podence providing the gunpowder, Olympiakos could make an easy task of terrorising the fragile Arsenal defenders with their pace and power. The Super League 1 leaders boast of the best goalscoring form domestically and that alone should be enough to leave the Premier League defenders on their toes.
Martins' offensive and high-pressure approach to the game will likely leave plenty of room for the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Gabriel Martinelli and Nicolas Pepe to exploit but if the Thrylos can apply the dynamic tactics they did against Spurs last week, they would easily be able to block any kind of space for their opponents.
#3 The uncertainty that lies with the appointment of a new manager
The dismissal of Unai Emery and the interim appointment of Freddie Ljungberg was thought to be the beginning of a massive damage-control project at the Emirates. However, the Gunners have instead found themselves with a caretaker manager who has not only failed to impress in his short stint but one who is anxious for the hierarchy to make a permanent appointment soon.
Arsenal have seen three different managers in charge in the previous two seasons and none have brought any form of stability to the team. Carlo Ancelotti, Marcelino, and Nuno Espirito Santo have all been linked with the vacant managerial post in recent weeks but it is former captain and Manchester City assistant manager, Mikel Arteta, who has emerged as the frontrunner in the race.
While the north London giants will likely have a permanent manager at the helm soon, the appointment of a seasoned tactician alone is no guarantee of a change in fortune. That the club is edging closer to the appointment of an inexperienced manager like Arteta puts even more uncertainty on the likelihood of any significant development.
Moreover, the chances of the players adapting to a new manager's tactics in such a short period are incredibly thin as was proven by Emery's one-and-a-half season stint at the Emirates.
Of course, anything could happen in the course of a two-leg fixture and Arsenal still boast of elite attacking talent in their squad, but if little to no technical changes are made by both teams, Olympiakos may just have the edge over their English counterparts.
