Gallant Gunners bow out of Europa League

Diego Costa killed Arsene Wenger’s last hope of a glorious Arsenal farewell as his goal sent Atletico Madrid through to the Europa League final on Thursday.

It means Arsene Wenger’s side will not be playing in the Champions League next season.

“It doesn’t look very good”, said Wenger. I know it is a hard injury because you need to work every day on this. I’m very, very sad to leave the club with that exit.

Wenger, in his 250th UEFA game as a club coach, announced two weeks ago he was standing down after almost 22 years with the London team.

The defender went to the ground with no other player around him in the early stages of Arsenal’s Europa League semi-final second leg at Wanda Metropolitano. Yet the Los Rojiblancos striker remains one of the most crucial elements of Simeone’s setup and the Argentinean knows how to get the best out of his temperamental striker. This Atletico team is not that impressive but they only need a 0-0 draw. Atletico through will march to Lyon for the final.

Atletico didn’t create many chances but they always looked in control to reach a fifth European final since 2010.

This would nearly certainly end both his club season, and his World Cup hopes with France this June as well.

“It is a very, very big game for us because the future of Arsenal football club is not exactly the same if we qualify for the Champions League or not”.

“We wanted to do it for the boss, he’s had an incredible career”, Arsenal defender Hector Bellerin said. Thomas Partey won the ball, finding Antoine Griezmann who played in Diego Costa to fire beyond Ospina and put the hosts ahead on aggregate.

But Arsenal’s unfazed reaction to the incident, despite missing their captain, was a positive one, as Alexandre Lacazette was afforded the opportunity to potentially break the deadlock before the half-hour mark after being slipped in behind the Atleti defence.

“In history Costa has shown he can make the difference”, Wenger said.