Mikel Arteta has called Villarreal head coach Unai Emery "the most successful manager" left in the Europa League in a show of respect for Arsenal's semi-final opponent and the man who came before him.
The Gunners, who were led by Emery before Freddie Ljungberg's interim reign and Arteta's arrival, advanced past the quarter-final with a 4-0 second-leg romp over Slavia Prague that clinched a 5-1 win on aggregate. Villarreal, meanwhile, dispatched Dinamo Zagreb 3-1 on aggregate.
Just like his predecessor, Arteta has often felt the heat from critics for his squad's performance level, as Arsenal have slumped to ninth in the Premier League this year.