Arsenal must improve their finishing in Spain next week says Danny Welbeck

Arsenal must improve their finishing in Spain next week says Danny Welbeck

Danny Welbeck says Arsenal must take their chances in front of goal next week if they are to make the Europa League final.

The Gunners were held to a frustrating 1-1 draw against Atletico Madrid at The Emirates on Thursday night.


Arsene Wenger’s men had plenty of chances to win the game, having had an astonishing 28 shots on goal. However only eight of those were on target, with a number of Arsenal stars, Welbeck included, being guilty of fluffing their lines in the final third.

Those misses cost the Gunners dear when Antoine Griezmann secured a vital late away goal for the visitors, meaning advantage Atletico going into next week’s second leg.

And Welbeck knows the Gunners must be more clinical at the Wanda Metropolitano if they are to progress to the final.

“It’s disappointing to take the lead and then concede a goal right near the end of the first leg so we’re disappointed with that.” said Welbeck.
“Well, we will do a bit of analysis on that and we’ve got to try to make sure that doesn’t happen again. Obviously going into next week we’ve got to be positive and this game is done now so we have to see what we can do. We’ve built a platform and we can build on top of that.
“There were opportunities there for us to score and we’re disappointed with that but it gives us a little bit of positivity going into the second leg knowing we can create chances against a very good side.”

The Europa League remains Arsenal’s only hope of securing silverware this season, and victory has added incentive after the announcement that manager Arsene Wenger will leave the club at the end of the season.
Wenger has never won a European trophy in his 22-year spell with the Gunners, and Welbeck says it would be a special send off for the Frenchman if they can send him off in style with a Europa League triumph.
Welbeck said: “Going into the semi-final you don’t need any extra incentives. You want to get through to the final and as I said, we wanted to win before the manager announced he was leaving and we want to win after it as well.
“Seeing him at the end lift the trophy, that would be the icing on the cake! But we don’t need that extra incentive because we’re professionals and that’s what we’re here to do.”