Arsenal’s Emery demands consistency as Napoli’s Europa last 8 test looms

Unai Emery has urged erratic Arsenal to show more consistency as they prepare to face Napoli in the Europa League quarter-finals on Thursday.

Emery’s side suffered a major blow in their bid to make next season’s Champions League when they slumped to a lacklustre 1-0 defeat at Everton on Sunday.

The Gunners slipped to fifth in the table as a result of their latest dismal away performance, putting their hopes of finishing in the top four in jeopardy.

But Arsenal can also book a place in the competition if they win the Europa League, and Emery is determined to ensure his players do not slip up again when Napoli visit the Emirates Stadium for the first leg of the last-eight tie.

“We need to be consistent in the next matches and if we do that we can win,” Emery said after the Everton defeat.

“There’s some frustration collectively with the result, but we won’t change our idea and our work.” While Arsenal have struggled on their travels, they have been formidable back home in north London.

Emery’s men have won their past seven games at the Emirates in all competitions, including second-leg comeback victories against BATE Borisov and Rennes in the Europa League.

The Serie A side have not kept a clean sheet in any competition since beating Red Bull Salzburg in the Europa League on March 7 and lost to struggling Empoli before a disappointing draw with Genoa on Sunday.

Ancelotti warned his players they must improve to avoid more misery at the Emirates.

“We’re defending badly at the moment. It’s an alarm bell, certainly, because if we play like this in London, then we’re in trouble,” he said.

Agence France-Presse