Villarreal vs Arsenal Predictions

• Unai Emery has won four of his five Europa League semi-finals
• Arsenal have dropped points to Fulham and Everton in their last two
• Villarreal have won 11 of 12 Europa League games this term
• The hosts have won their last eight in this competition

Revenge on the cards for Emery

Mikel Arteta could need to win the Europa League to save his job, but standing in his way is the man who preceded him at the Emirates. Unai Emery was a Europa League stalwart before mixed spells at PSG and Arsenal and he’s returned to that form with Villarreal.

The Spanish giants have fallen short of a Champions League spot domestically and they’ll view this competition as their last shot, much like Arteta’s Arsenal. However, this is Emery’s sixth Europa League semi-final. Having won four of his previous five ties at this stage, could that experience lead the Yellow Submarines to victory?

Blow for Gunners

Arsenal looked good in the last round of this competition as they blew away Slavia Prague. That boost has evaporated for the Gunners, who have been poor since. Arteta’s side needed a 97th-minute equaliser to draw at home to Fulham and they were unable to repeat that in Friday’s 1-0 loss to Everton.

The visitors haven’t looked that solid in this competition so far. They needed a late comeback to avoid elimination in the last 16, they lost at home to Olympiakos in the last eight and they toiled for much of the first leg meeting with Slavia. Next up is arguably the competition’s strongest side.

Villarreal on form

Villarreal have suffered a few La Liga defeats of late, but they’ve switched focus to this competition. Even while dealing with league action, the Yellow Submarine have been brilliant in Europe. They’ve won 11 of 12 matches in the competition, including their last eight.

We see Villarreal proving too strong for Arsenal in this one, which is why we recommended backing them in our Villarreal vs Arsenal bet builder tip. Their excellent record in Europe makes them look well-priced against the inconsistent Gunners. We’re going with a home win as our first selection, while we’re backing a 2-1 correct score prediction with Villarreal’s last five seeing both teams score.

Finally, Gerard Moreno has either scored or assisted in all six of his UEFA Europa League starts this season, netting six goals while assisting another two. He’s scored 10 times in his last nine starts for Villarreal and he’s notched five times in his last three home Europa League games. Back him to add to that form here.