Atlético Madrid were on the ropes but there was no knockout blow at the Emirates
It is a lovely thought, Arsène Wenger burnishing his legacy by collecting the first European trophy of his career in Lyon next month, and for a while Arsenal’s manager could dream about that perfect send-off. Atlético Madrid were on the ropes, Diego Simeone was growling in the stands and for once it seemed that Wenger was not going to regret talking about a team with the potential to win the Europa League before this match.
Yet the awkward truth for Arsenal’s eternal optimist is that the best teams show no mercy when the odds are stacked so heavily in their favour. This was an occasion that ought to have been remembered for a thrilling Arsenal performance, Alexandre Lacazette’s deft header and one of the most raucous atmospheres in the Emirates Stadium’s short history. Instead, it will live in the memory because of the generous defending that allowed Antoine Griezmann to steal a potentially decisive away goal and expose the fragility that explains why Wenger is leaving.
Related: Antoine Griezmann grabs away goal as Arsenal are held by 10-man Atlético
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