Ian Wright makes Granit Xhaka demand ahead of Arsenal’s crunch game against Villarreal

Arsenal: Arteta opens up on semi-final pressure

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Ian Wright has given his assessment of Arsenal’s squad ahead of their crunch match against Villarreal on Thursday. The Gunners host the Spanish side at the Emirates Stadium needing to manufacture a comeback after losing the first leg 2-1 last week.

Arsenal found themselves 2-0 down after just 29 minutes in Spain and although Nicolas Pepe grabbed an away goal from the penalty spot they have to improve tomorrow.

Mikel Arteta’s side bounced back with a 2-0 win over Newcastle United on Sunday, but they remain ninth in the Premier League, well short of the Europa League and Champions League qualification places.

Their poor league position places even greater significance on the result against former manager Unai Emery’s side and Arteta’s selection will be under close scrutiny.

His decisions to play Emile Smith Rowe as a false number nine and Granit Xhaka at left-back in the first leg did not work out and were widely criticised by fans and pundits.

The Arsenal manager refused to give his team news on Wednesday before he had assessed his squad in this afternoon’s training session, but Wright has offered him some advice.

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“Ideally for me, you play Cedric Soares at left-back and put Xhaka back in midfield because he can keep the ball safe and give that pass that we need,” the former Arsenal striker said on Ringer FC’s Wrighty’s House podcast.

“It does not make me comfortable seeing Xhaka at left-back. It’s not his thing, that’s not where he should be.

“Cedric was bought and signed for four years to play at either right or left, play him! Play Xhaka where he should play and then it’s out of Saka or Pepe to be on that side.

“Go with the strongest team. [Dani] Ceballos doesn’t make my team, I would rather have Mohamed Elneny in there.

“I know he scored the other day but he’s got a drive and a determination about him. You cannot dislike his output.”

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Villarreal come into the crucial second leg a goal ahead thanks to strikes from Manu Trigueros and Raul Albiol, but Wright felt they should have rammed home their advantage further while they had the chance.

The Spanish side failed to capitalise on Ceballos’ red card after 57 minutes and Wright believes Arsenal will make them pay tomorrow.

“I think that Unai’s [Francis] Coquelin substitution when they were flying, that has to come back to bite him,” he said.

“He’s done it with us before he’s done it before in his career. It’s something he’s always done and it’s cost him and I think that was our way back in, we weren’t meant to be in the game.

“They should’ve finished us and they didn’t, that’s why I think we’re going to beat them. “[Pierre-Emerick] Aubameyang looked sharp the other day [against Newcastle] and I feel that with the players, Emile Smith Rowe, [Bukayo] Saka, Pepe, I just feel like they’ve got to recognise that this is it. And I think that’s a sign for me.”

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