Seaman: ´Phenomenal achievement´ if Emery´s Arsenal win Europa League

Unai Emery may have already won three Europa League titles with Sevilla, but David Seaman insists it would be a “phenomenal achievement” if the Spaniard were to lead Arsenal to success in this year’s tournament.

The Gunners host Napoli on Thursday in the first leg of their quarter-final tie, the winner advancing to a last-four clash against either Villarreal or Valencia.

Emery knows those two Spanish clubs well from his time in charge of Sevilla, with whom he won the Europa League in 2014, 2015 and 2016.

Former Arsenal goalkeeper Seaman acknowledged that those successive triumphs were impressive, but believes winning the competition in his first year as Arsene Wenger’s successor in north London would be a similarly significant feat.

Seaman, who was speaking on the UEFA Europa League Trophy Tour driven by Kia, told Omnisport: “Hopefully his luck’s not run out!

“I definitely want him to win [the Europa League] again. That’s a great achievement on its own.

“But then to go into a new club, as big as Arsenal is, after Arsene Wenger, that would be a phenomenal achievement.”

#TBT to last time Napoli visited Emirates Stadium…@MesutOzil1088‘s first goal for the club #UEL x #ThrowbackThursday pic.twitter.com/NBRsIav8pn

— Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) April 11, 2019

In the previous two rounds – against BATE and Rennes – Arsenal lost the opening leg before overturning that deficit with 3-0 wins at Emirates Stadium.

This time they are at home against Napoli first and Seaman has identified the opening contest as pivotal.

“It’s going to be tough,” he said. “We know that going out to Italy and trying to get a result is hard.

“If they can do really well at the Emirates, they should have enough to beat them. Now you’re playing against top teams, it’s a tough competition.

“I still expect Arsenal to go through but I wouldn’t be massively surprised if they didn’t.

“You know that Napoli are going to be good defensively. Have Arsenal got the firepower to break them down? Yes, they have.

“And I just hope that it’s a key aspect of the game – that Arsenal’s firepower will be too much for Napoli.”