Arsenal vs Valencia LIVE: Europa League semi-final 2019 commentary stream, TV channel, score prediction

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Arsenal vs Valencia
Uefa Europa League 2018-19 | Semi-final, first leg
Venue: Emirates Stadium
Kick-off time: 8:00pm BST, tonight

Arsenal will look to divert attention away from their concerning domestic form when they host Valencia in the first leg of the Europa League semi-finals tonight.

The Gunners have lost four of their last five Premier League matches - a run that includes three straight losses at the hands of Crystal Palace, Wolves and Leicester.

That run has left their hopes of a top four finish in real jeopardy - they remain fifth and two points adrift of Chelsea with only two matches left to play.

Their best chance of securing qualification for next season's Champions League camopaign is Europa League success - they can take a huge step towards that with victory tonight.

Follow all the action from the Emirates with Standard Sport's LIVE blog!

Arsenal vs Valencia team news and predicted line-up

Juventus-bound midfielder Aaron Ramsey had played his last game for Arsenal as the result of a hamstring tear suffered against Napoli, while Barcelona loanee Denis Suarez will also not feature again this season due to persistent groin trouble.

However, Mesut Ozil is expected to return after missing the 3-0 defeat to Leicester with a bruised foot, while Nacho Monreal could be involved following a calf issue.

Rob Holding, Hector Bellerin (both knee) and Danny Welbeck (ankle) are long-term absentees.

Emery - who managed Thursday's opponents for four years between 2008-12 - may have accidentally given away his team selection and tactics after his notes were photographed at an open training session, with the likes of Carl Jenkinson and Konstantinos Mavropanos seemingly getting the nod in a 3-4-3 formation.

However, that could easily be a red herring.

Arsenal are likely to come up against a familiar face in Brazilian centre-back Gabriel Paulista, but former Gunners midfielder Francis Coquelin is suspended.

Denis Cheryshev and Geoffrey Kondogbia remain out for Valencia, who welcome back right-back Cristiano Piccini following injury.

Arsenal XI (3-4-1-2): Cech, Mustafi, Koscielny​, Sokratis, Maitland-Niles, Kolasinac, Torreira, Xhaka, Ozil, Lacazette, Aubameyang

Valencia XI (4-4-2): Neto, Piccini, Garay, Gabriel, Gaya, Soler, Parejo, Wass, Guedes, Gameiro, Rodrigo

Score prediction: Arsenal 2-1 Valencia

Arsenal have endured a truly wretched seven days and will need to improve significantly to avoid a second successive semi-final exit.

Valencia are also coming off back-to-back domestic defeats, though have lost only two of their last seven European games on the road.

The Gunners can take encouragement from the fact that they proved far too strong for a good Napoli team and have lost only one home match in two seasons in the Europa League.

Providing their confidence is not too low, they should be able to take a slender lead back to Spain for the second leg on May 9.

TV channel and live stream, and online coverage

The match will be televised live on BT Sport 2, with coverage starting at 7:15pm. BT Sport subscribers will be able to stream the match online via the video player and the BT Sport app.

Head to Head history and results (h2h)

These two sides have met five times competitively in the past, with Valencia boasting two wins - including the 1980 Uefa Cup Winners' Cup - to Arsenal's one, with two draws.

The Gunners were knocked out of the Champions League quarter-finals on away goals in 2001 before being bested by Valencia again in 2003 - John Carew scoring on both occasions.

2 May 2019

Arsenal vs Valencia predicted line-ups

Arsenal XI (3-4-1-2): Cech, Sokratis, Koscielny, Monreal, Maitland-Niles, Xhaka, Torreira, Kolasinac, Ozil, Aubameyang, Lacazette 

Valencia XI (4-4-2): Neto, Piccini, Garay, Gabriel, Gaya, Soler, Wass, Parejo, Guedes, Rodrigo, Gameiro

2 May 2019

Arsenal vs Valencia team news

Out-of-form Arsenal will be without Aaron Ramsey for Thursday night's Europa League semi-final first-leg tie against Valencia.

The Juventus-bound midfield stalwart sustained a hamstring problem during the last-eight meeting with Napoli and there had been growing fears over the past few days that the issue would force him to miss the rest of the season.

Unai Emery confirmed those suspicions in his pre-match press conference, with a small tear to the muscle meaning that Ramsey has played the final game of his 11-year Arsenal career before a summer switch to Serie A.

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Denis Suarez's ineffectual loan spell with the Gunners - who have lost each of their last three Premier League matches - has been curtailed by a persistent groin complaint, while long-term absentees Danny Welbeck (ankle), Rob Holding and Hector Bellerin (both knee) remain out.

However, Mesut Ozil is in line to return after missing the 3-0 defeat at Leicester with a bruised foot, while Nacho Monreal should be fit to start following a calf injury.

Petr Cech is expected to replace Bernd Leno for Europa League duty as usual, while Laurent Koscielny is likely to return as part of a back three.

Former Arsenal defender Gabriel Paulista should line up for Valencia on Thursday, but another ex-Gunner - Francis Coquelin - is suspended after picking up a booking in the quarter-final, second-leg win over Villarreal.

Denis Cheryshev (knee) and Geoffrey Kondogbia (thigh) are also sidelined for the visitors.

2 May 2019

Interview | Azpilicueta warns critics about writing Chelsea off

As Cesar Azpilicueta’s seventh season at Chelsea draws to a close, he is hearing grim forecasts about the club’s future once again.

Many teams would be envious that Chelsea are involved in a Europa League semi-final tonight and sit fourth in the Premier League, but having won five League titles and a Champions League over the previous 14 years, it is regarded as a sign they are in decline.

This has been a campaign of few highs and many lows. On the pitch, there have been humiliating 4-0 and 6-0 defeats to Bournemouth and Manchester City respectively. More significantly, star player Eden Hazard is expected to leave for Real Madrid this summer; FIFA have banned Chelsea from signing players for two windows (subject to appeal); plus, there is a lot of talk within the game that owner Roman Abramovich wants to sell up.

Photo: Reuters 

But Azpilicueta said: “No one should write us off. We have shown this through the years. I remember when we finished 10th (in 2016) and everyone was saying we wouldn’t challenge for the League anymore. The next year we won it. The thing you have to say about this club is that it shows character and we never give up. I’m convinced that will remain the case.”

That is not to say the Spain international is not aware of the challenges that lie ahead, including catching City and Liverpool next term. “We have to be aware of what is happening,” he said. “This is the reality. It’s true that everything is in the air. We may or may not have the transfer ban, but it is not in our (the players’) hands. Hopefully, it can be resolved as soon as possible.

“Even if the transfer ban wasn’t an issue, being without the Champions League for two years is something I cannot accept. Our first target has been to get back in it. It is the competition where we belong. Liverpool and City have been at another level this season. They are both raising the bar but we will do everything to bridge the gap.” 

The 29-year-old has grown accustomed to talk that Chelsea are in some kind of crisis since joining from Marseille for £7million in 2012. They may have won five major trophies in that time, but the defender has also served under six different managers and there are doubts that current boss Maurizio Sarri will remain at the helm for much longer. But just as Azpilicueta benefited from reassuring words delivered by the elder statesmen of the club when he first arrived, now others can prosper from his wisdom. 

“When I joined, I was surrounded by Champions League winners,” he admitted. “You try to learn from them, how they react in every situation. It’s part of your learning process as a footballer. Now I am one of the most experienced members of the squad. When things aren’t going well, I try to help.Some clubs maybe happy to just finish in the top four and not win trophies, but we are used to winning something virtually every year. But in the bad moments, you have to stay calm, make it clear that everyone must improve, say ‘we have standards... we are Chelsea’.”

Chelsea will certainly need Azpilicueta to be at his inspirational best if they are to get a good result in Frankfurt ahead of the return leg next week. The Bundesliga club have already beaten Lazio, Marseille, Shakhtar Donetsk, Inter Milan and Benfica to get to this stage.

But Azpilicueta is determined to end a troubled campaign on a high. “Everything is in our hands,” he said. “We started working in July and after all that hard graft, now is twhe time to finish it off. Hopefully, we can give some happiness to the fans as well. I know they have been suffering, but I want to give something back to them.”

Cesar Azpilicueta was speaking on behalf of MSC Cruises, the official global cruise partner of Chelsea FC. To find out more msccruises.co.uk

2 May 2019

Arsenal seek more European joy with season on knife edge

Time to cash in the insurance policy. Arsenal’s recent Premier League form would have triggered a crisis were it not for their Europa League semi-final tie against Valencia which begins at Emirates Stadium on Thursday night.

Champions League qualification is an imperative and will define whether Unai Emery’s debut season in charge has been a success or failure.

Missing out would not create any uncertainty over his position, but it would check momentum and make what promises to be another transitional summer more difficult by restricting budgets and opportunities with which to lure new signings.

Managers usually find their methods under a microscope in the defining period of the season and that is true of Emery given the big decisions he has made in bringing Arsenal to this point.

The suspicion remains that the Gunners simply do not possess the personnel to form a resilient defensive unit and further transfer windows will help rectify that, but Emery’s constant chopping and changing of formation and selection has not created much consistency.

There were six clean sheets in seven matches prior to losing three consecutive games in eight days — against Crystal Palace, Wolves and Leicester — but that masked the profligacy they benefitted from their rivals in that period. 

Watford, Manchester United and Napoli were culpable in that regard.

Attack is almost certainly Arsenal’s best form of defence yet Emery initially froze out Aaron Ramsey during a period when his contract situation was unresolved, while Mesut Ozil spoke yesterday about his desire to stay next season but his role over the course of the campaign has been more marginal than his £350,000-a-week wage demands.

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Emery inherited a lot of problems which remain unresolved and the unity he has built in home matches is a reflection of supporters recognising a renewed focus that has not always been in evidence on the road this term.

They have, generally speaking, reserved their best performances for Europa League home matches since the turn of the year, overturning deficits against BATE Borisov and Rennes before overpowering Napoli to earn an advantage they extended in the second leg to reach this point.

Ozil, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette must bring their best if the trio are selected from the start. Emery was appointed as Arsene Wenger’s successor in part because of his expertise in this competition and so in some senses it is apt that the Europa League now takes centre stage in his maiden campaign.

Valencia offer additional poignancy for the Spaniard given he had four seasons in charge of the club between 2008 and 2012, leading them to this stage of Europa League in 2011-12. The last time Valencia got this far, they were knocked out by Emery’s Sevilla, in what was the first of three successive titles.

Emery last week launched an impassioned defence of Shkodran Mustafi, who may also feel like he has an additional point to prove as he faces his former club for the first time since joining Arsenal in 2016.

Lee Dixon infamously claimed Gary Neville, who managed Valencia during Mustafi’s final season, said they “couldn’t give him away” shortly before Arsenal paid £35million for him.

It is, of course, the typical managerial reflex which saw Emery defend Mustafi from his most recent criticism, but he went far beyond the minimum requirement, talking for four-and-a-half minutes about how the centre-back remains an important player now and in the future. These sorts of judgements are on the line on Thursday night.

It is almost exactly a year since Laurent Koscielny suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon in his right leg during last season’s semi-final exit to Atletico Madrid and redemption is on his mind, too.

“We will need to be focused and play well as a team particularly as our recent results have not gone well,” he said. 

“Confidence has dropped slightly but we are professionals. We have battled all season to get as far as we can in the League and cups.

“We have worked hard to get back into the Champions League possibly through the Europa League. If we do not manage it that will be a shame.”

Arsenal produced one of their best away performances under Emery to see off Napoli at the Stadio San Paolo, but their general form on the road suggests a sizeable victory tonight is essential against a Valencia side currently sixth in LaLiga.

“If you can win, it’s good,” said Emery. “If you can win without conceding a goal, it’s perfect.

“We need to manage 90 minutes and be solid, strong and be clear in our minds with the possibilities with the result. Our idea is to win.”

2 May 2019

Ozil plans to see out record-breaking Arsenal contract

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Mesut Ozil is not looking to leave Arsenal over the summer, insisting he will "absolutely" be at the club next season.

The 30-year-old is the highest-paid player in the history of the club but manager Unai Emery has not been afraid to drop him often this season, handing him just 19 starts in the league.

Ozil missed Sunday's loss to Leicester - a third defeat on the trot for the Gunners - with a bruised foot amid ongoing concerns over the players' wellbeing after numerous bouts of illness.

Despite the rocky season, Ozil remains happy at the Emirates Stadium and intends on seeing out the final two years of his contract.

"Yes absolutely," he told Sky Sports when asked if he will be at Arsenal next season.

"I have two years left on my contract. I don't know about after that but yes, absolutely.

"I'm 30 now and I've still got two years in front of me and what happens after that I don't know myself."

2 May 2019

Chelsea unveil Nike’s ‘Stamford Bridge inspired’ home strip for next season

Photo: Nike 

Chelsea have unveiled their new home strip for the new season which draw inspiration from the club’s stadium, Stamford Bridge.

The kit, manufactured and designed by Nike, sees imagery of the stadium interwoven in the club’s traditional blue jersey.

The shirt will also feature a v-neck collar, with a CFC monogram on the back.

As it customary with Chelsea, the kit is finished with blue shorts and white socks.

In a statement released on the club’s website, Eden Hazard – who modelled the kit alongside Chelsea Women’s captain Karen Carney – said: “It’s our home. Every time we step out to play in front of our fans, it just feels right.

"We’ve created so many memories at the Bridge over the years so it’s only fitting that we pay tribute to such an iconic stadium through the jersey.”

2 May 2019

Ramsey posts emotional farewell to Arsenal fans

Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey has thanked fans in an emotional Instagram post after it was confirmed he would not play for the Gunners again because of a hamstring injury.

The Welshman, who will join Juventus when his contract expires this summer, has been ruled out for the rest of the campaign after suffering a hamstring tear in the Europa League quarter-final win over Napoli last month.

The Welshman is Arsenal’s longest serving player, having joined from Portsmouth as a teenager in 2008.

He recovered from a horrific broken leg suffered against Stoke in 2010, to become a mainstay of the Arsenal side, and will be most fondly remembered for scoring the winning goal in two FA Cup finals, the first of which ended the club’s nine-year trophy drought.

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“I am really disappointed not to play until the end and give everything for the club while I am still an Arsenal player,” Ramsey wrote.

“Unfortunately it’s out of my hands but I wanted to say thank you to the fans for your support.

“It has been a journey, on and off the field, and so much has happened in 11 years. I was a spotty young kid coming in and I’m leaving a man, married, father of three boys and full of pride and good memories that I will treasure.

Ramsey confirmed that he would be in attendance at Sunday’s Premier League clash with Brighton, Arsenal’s last home game of the season, to say his goodbyes.

“It will be emotional this weekend – my last game at home,” he added. “I look forward to seeing you there and thank you all again from the bottom of my heart for everything.”

2 May 2019

Ramsey has played his last game for Arsenal due to hamstring tear

Unai Emery confirmed on Wednesday that Aaron Ramsey’s Arsenal career is over after scans revealed a small hamstring tear.

Standard Sport reported this morning that the Welshman was already ruled out of Thursday's Europa League semi-final, first leg against Valencia.

There have been growing fears over the past few days that Ramsey would miss the rest of the season and the Gunners head coach stated the influential midfielder would not be fit even if they reached the final on May 29 in Baku.

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Ramsey will end an 11-year stay in north London when joining Juventus on a free transfer in June and the two clubs will liaise over his recovery with both parties expecting a full recovery by the time he is due to begin pre-season in Italy.

When asked by Standard Sport if Ramsey had any chance of playing in the final, Emery said: “At the moment we are only in the semi-final, and secondly the prognosis is not okay for this date.

“He was in a good moment when he was injured,” said Emery. “I said to him, 'I want to do something important in your last matches here' - though he could come back maybe in the future.

"I want to do something important. It will not be with him on the pitch - but still with him, with us. I spoke with him yesterday and he feels Arsenal and wants to enjoy the last matches."

The Gunners have lost all three games since Ramsey sustained the problem in the Europa League quarter-final, second leg against Napoli.

Emery will have Mesut Ozil to call on after he recovered from the bruised foot which forced him to miss Sunday’s 3-0 defeat at Leicester while Nacho Monreal’s calf injury is being assessed but he trained today with the first-team group

2 May 2019

Sarri admits Chelsea are in ‘trouble’ as Cahill joins injury list

Chelsea have been handed a defensive injury crisis on the eve of their Europa League semi-final at Eintracht Frankfurt after Gary Cahill joined Antonio Rudiger on the injured list.

The Blues have had to train with right-back Cesar Azpilicueta in central defence this week as he is the only fit back-up remaining for David Luiz and Andreas Christensen.

Rudiger was ruled out for three months earlier this week after having surgery on a damaged meniscus in his left knee and young Wales international Ethan Ampadu has not been available for some time because of a back injury. 

And Cahill is now also on the treatment table due to an Achilles tendon problem, although Sarri hopes he might be available for the second leg at Stamford Bridge next week.

Chelsea also have two key games in the Premier League remaining, against Watford and Leicester, which will determine whether they will finish in the top four.

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Sarri admits the situation is far from ideal and said: “We are in trouble with the centre-backs. In the last two training sessions, we played with Azpilicueta as a centre-back in case. I think he's the only one who can play there. 

“We've played 58 matches and in the past we were lucky with injuries. In the last 10 days, not so lucky. Am I worried? A little.”

Azpilicueta played as a centre-back in the Antonio Conte era between 2016-18, but that was in a back three. However, the Spain international said: “I'm ready to play wherever the manager asks me to play.

"I've played centre-back for Chelsea and the national team. It's true, the last couple of months I've played at right-back or left-back, a few times, but I can adapt to different positions. I enjoy whatever the manager thinks is useful for the team. I'm ready for whatever.”

Sarri has revealed that Chelsea tried to keep playing Rudiger for the rest of the season despite knowing he’d already damaged the meniscus in his left knee.

Chelsea didn’t say when the German international first had the problem, although an issue first came to light when he limped off against Liverpool on April 14.

Rudiger was back in the side against Manchester United on Sunday – just two weeks later – but couldn’t see the 90 minutes out.

Sarri insists that Chelsea didn’t make the problem worse by selecting him at Old Trafford. When asked by Standard Sport if he regretted picking him at the weekend, Sarri replied: “No.

"We tried to arrive at the end of the season, but the injury was there. A problem with his meniscus, so the meniscus was broken.

“We tried to arrive to the end of the season because, sometimes, you are able to do it, to play for one month, but the situation was the same. 

“He was unlucky, but the situation without or with the match was the same. At the end of the season, he would have to have the surgery.”

“I think Rudi is out at least for three months. I spoke with him yesterday. Of course he is really disappointed, but as I said to him, it can happen. 

“He has only to think about returning better than before. When you have serious injuries, it's very difficult to remain the same: you can be better or worse. 

“I think Rudiger is very strong, so I think he will return better than before. Of course, now, he's really disappointed.”

Rudiger and Cahill’s fitness issues means that Christensen, who has played in every round of the Europa League this term, looks certain to play the club’s remaining fixtures.

Sarri has no doubts that the Dane is good enough to do so and said: “Christensen has played about 25 matches during the season, so he is ready. 

“I hope he will be very fresh, mentally and physically, but I'm sure he's ready to play in every match. It's not a problem. 

“The problem is only the numbers. We only have two centre-backs, so the only problem is the number. 

“I am really confident with Andreas because he is ready. He's played very important matches very well. Christensen isn't the problem. The problem is the numbers.”

2 May 2019

Good morning and welcome to Standard Sport's live build-up to Thursday night's Europa League semi-final first legs as Arsenal host Valencia and Chelsea take on Eintracht Frankfurt in Germany.

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