The English Premier League teams are proving to be a huge contender for the Uefa titles this season and it is looking like they are not taking their sight off the title for any reason this season.
The Europa League action went down yesterday in countries across the world and at the end of the matches, I predicted an all-English final due to Manchester United and Arsenal's outstanding performance since the beginning of the competition. It was a different journey for both English teams left in the Europa League but they both certainly have the same aim of winning the title at the end of everything.
Let quickly take a recap of their journey in the Europa League.
Manchester United
Manchester United crashing out of the Champions League could be a blessing in disguise for the English giant if they eventually go on to reach the final and win the title which they last did in the year 2017 when they defeated Ajax 2-0.
During the group stages of the Uefa Champions league, everyone believed United would progress from the group stage but somehow, they messed up the chances they had within a short period. United started the Champions League campaign with a sound victory over the last season finalist PSG and they went on to thrash Leipzig 5-0 in the second group stage match, it was supposed to be a smooth ride for United with those victories but things went the other way and it became unexplainable how the team that reached 9 points first didn't progress from the group stage of the Champions League.
United losing half of the group stages matches opened the way for Leipzig and Paris Saint-German to progress into the round of 32, luckily for Manchester United they had the opportunity to still participate in the Uefa Europa League for finishing third in the group stage.
United made their way into the Europa League and have been dominant since they arrived in the competition. They joined the competition in the round of 32 and have been doing great as they progress to each round, they have won all their away matches eliminating the likes of AC Milan, Granada, and Real Sociedad since joining the competition back in February.
On Thursday night, Manchester United sealed their Semi-final spot after trashing Granada at Old Trafford.
Who knows if they might have been dumped out of the Champions League if they didn't crash out in the group stages?
I assume that United would be taking the title very serious because it is the only title they still have very much assurance of winning if they put in their best effort, they currently sit second in the English Premier League behind Manchester City and it would be a difficult one to deprive City of the title because City winning or losing the league doesn't depend on United anymore.
Manchester United with play against AS Roma in the semi-final of the Europa League and it would a very big one for both sides judging from their performance so far in the competition. Roma hasn't lost a single match in the knockout stage and Ajax is the only opponent that deprived them of a victory so far in the competition. As easy as it may be looking for United as a team, Roma is not a team that can be written of so easily.
Arsenal
The North London club has been outstanding so far in the Europa League this season, they lost only one match so far in the competition against Olympiacos at the Emirates Stadium during the round of 16 matches. Arsenal succeeded in putting the Premier League's failure behind to avoid it from interfering with their Europa League journey and I think that has worked a lot for the club.
Arsenal is currently having a difficult time in the league and it would make their chances of participating in the Uefa Competition next season difficult if they fail to win the Uefa Europa League, with the likes of Villareal, Manchester United and AS Roma still in the competition, it would be a tough journey to the final for Arsenal but nothing is impossible when it comes to football.
The Gunners made their way into the semi-final after thrashing Slavia Praha. Before the match, the English side's chances of progressing to the semi-final round were very slim because they played a 1-1 draw at the Emirate Stadium in the first league of the tie. We expected a real challenge from Slavia Praha but they just couldn't stand the English team force in attack, a predicted tough encounter became an easy ride right for Arsenal.
Villareal is the next opponent Arsenal will be playing against in the Semi-final of the competition and no one is expecting it to be as easy as it was against Slavia Praha because right now every club's eyes are on the trophy. Villareal is one of the teams who have given their best in the competition and the only time they didn't get a victory was against Maccabi Tel Aviv, it ended 1-1.
Villareal has ensured they got victory playing home and away in the competition and this is a reason why Arsenal mustn't let their guards down, else it would be the end of their Europa League campaign.
