VILLARREAL, Spain (AP) – Unai Emery won the first battle against his former club on Thursday as Villarreal defeated Arsenal 2-1 in the first leg of the Europa League semifinals. Manu Trigueros and Raúl Albiol scored first-half goals to give the Spanish club the edge of next week’s second leg in London. The English side pulled one closer with a penalty kick converted by Nicolas Pepe in the 73rd.
Arsenal got the important away goal while playing with ten men as Dani Ceballos sent off a second yellow card in the 57th. Villarreal then had midfielder Etienne Capoue sent off with a double booking in the 80th.
Villarreal is making its fifth attempt to reach a European final, having failed on all previous occasions, including against Arsenal in the 2006 Champions League and against Liverpool in the 2016 Europa League. Arsenal is trying to return to the Europa League final for the second time in three years after losing the title to Chelsea in 2019 while under Emery’s command. That last was one of the highlights of the Spanish coach during his turbulent 18 months with Arsenal. He is in his first season with Villarreal after being fired by the English club in November 2019.
Emery has thrived in the Europa League, leading Sevilla to three straight titles from 2014-16.
There were few significant scoring chances for either team at the Cerâmica stadium, but the hosts capitalized on their opportunities in the first half.
Villarreal opened the scoring five minutes into the match, with Trigueros finding the net with a low shot from inside the area after the Arsenal defense failed to clear the ball inside the room.
Villarreal added to the lead with Albiol scoring from close range off a corner kick in the 29th. The defender found the net after striker Gerard Moreno deflected the corner kick cross toward the far post.
call was reversed after a video review showed Pepe had a handball before the foul happened.
Arsenal’s hopes of rallying appeared to take a hit when Ceballos was sent off for stepping on the leg of Villarreal playmaker Dani Parejo while trying to win the ball. But then Capoue was sent off for a foul on Bukayo Saka. The Villarreal player was injured during the same incident and had to leave the field on a stretcher.
Moreno nearly added the third goal for the hosts less than 10 minutes after Ceballos was sent off, but Arsenal goalkeeper Bernd Leno brilliantly saved his close-range shot.
Arsenal had one final chance, but substitute Pierre-Emerick aubameyang’s attempt from inside the area was saved by Villarreal goalkeeper Gerónimo Rulli.
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