Arsenal got their Europa League campaign off to the perfect start on Thursday evening with a 2-1 win over FC Zurich. The Gunners are the favourites to win the competition and managed to record a victory in their first game with a heavily rotated side.
Mikel Arteta's side are looking to right the wrongs from three years ago, where Arsenal lost in the Europa League final. Unai Emery led the Gunners to the final in Azerbaijan, but were thumped 4-1 at the hands of Chelsea.
It was Arsenal's first European final in 13 years since losing to Barcelona in the Champions League finale, but the end result was the same. The season after that Chelsea defeat, Arsenal were knocked out in the round of 32 of the Europa League, before being defeated by Villarreal in the semi-final in the following campaign.
Part of the starting XI on that humiliating night in 2019, Granit Xhaka wants the Gunners to right the wrongs from three years ago. The Swiss midfielder believes Arsenal can live up to their favourites tag and taste European success for the first time.
"Very disappointed, first of all, because when you get to the final you want to win it, for sure,” said Xhaka when asked about the final in Baku three years ago.
“But you can only learn about this. Three years later we are still here now in the Europa League – and it’s time to win."
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