Samuel Chukwueze was in action Thursday night as Villarreal faced Arsenal at La Ceramica this evening in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final.
Though Chukwueze failed to get neither a goal nor an assit, his team ultimately won 2-1 in an intriguing game that saw three goals and two red cards, setting up the second leg in London perfectly.
The hosts are seventh in La Liga, having lost three of their last five domestic fixtures.
The visitors are tenth in the Premier League, having won one of their last five.
Unai Emery, a specialist in the Europa League with three titles under his belt from his time with Sevilla, will have been full of beans to face his former club.
Villarreal took the lead inside the fifth minute, with Manu Trigueros firing home.
Raul Albiol doubled their advantage just shy of the half-hour mark, giving Mikel Arteta’s men a mountain to climb.
The Londoners got a goal back soon after, however, when Nicolas Pepe converted from the penalty spot to cut the deficit to just one goal, and Villarreal were themselves reduced to ten men when Etienne Capoue saw red in the 80th minute, just about hanging on to win.
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