Europa Q/Finals: It is Napoli headache for Iwobi’s Arsenal

 

Super Eagles forward Alex Iwobi  and his Arsenal teammates will need all the arsenals in their armory in the Europa quarter-finals after they were drawn against Italian league side Napoli on Friday.

Fellow Premier League side Chelsea will have Czech side Slavia Prague to contend with. Analysts believe the Napoli draw will not be a tea party for the Gunners

The first legs of the ties will take place on April 11, with the return legs seven days later on April 18.

As Arsenal and Chelsea were both drawn to play at home in their second legs, UEFA regulations mean Arsenal’s tie with Napoli will now be reversed, with the Gunners hosting the Italian side in the first leg instead.

The Emirate Stadium landlords handed Rennes a 3-0 defeat on Thursday to advance on 4-3 aggregate over two legs. Two goals from Gabon international Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Ainsley Maitland-Niles handed the Gunners the much needed victory.

Arsenal made it to the semifinals last season but lost to Athletico Madrid who went on to clinch the title after beating Marseille 3-0 in the finals.

Arsenal will face Villarreal or Valencia in the semi-finals if they beat Napoli. Chelsea’s semi-final opponents will be Eintracht Frankfurt or Benfica should they get past Slavia Prague.

In the other two ties, there is an all-Spanish tie featuring Villarreal taking on Valencia, while three-time runners-up

Benfica will take on Eintracht Frankfurt.

Europa League quarter-final draw

Napoli v Arsenal

Villareal v Valencia

Benfica v Eintracht Frankfurt

Slavia Prague v Chelsea